Lt Martin Varadinov of the National Protection Service (NSO) has been freed on the order of the Sofia Military Court. He is charged with causing bodily harm to journalist Sonya Koltuklieva.
Prosecutors asked for him to be held in custody, but the court set no restrictions on him.
More on this story: NSO officer charged in connection with Sonya Koltuklieva incident
The incident happened on the afternoon of 22 October on Hristo Botev Boulevard in Sofia. The Sofia Military District Prosecutor's Office then charged the lieutenant, who guards National Assembly speaker Mihaela Dotsova, and held him for up to 72 hours.
The court deliberated for more than two hours before giving its ruling, and ordered it to take effect at once.
The judge found no grounds to accept with enough certainty that the defendant struck a blow. The court also took into account witness statements, including from Koltuklieva herself, who said she was pushed and fell. It also saw no risk that he would flee or reoffend. The ruling can be appealed or challenged by prosecutors.
At issue is whether Koltuklieva was hit or only pushed when she tried to open the door of a special vehicle.
Lawyer Tervel Georgiev, who defends Varadinov, called the request for the toughest measure entirely unfounded. He said there is no evidence of a blow, as prosecutors claim, and that all the witnesses speak of a push and a fall.
The defence says officers may not let anyone open the door of a closed vehicle unless the head of the protection detail has given permission. Georgiev argues that Koltuklieva tried to open the door unlawfully, and that his client acted under the rules and the NSO Act. He said she held a phone, not a microphone and camera, so the officers did not take her for a journalist.
Varadinov asked the judges for a lighter measure. "I believe I carried out my duties lawfully as an officer of the National Protection Service (NSO)," he said.
The lawyer said the lieutenant is married with two young children and has served in the NSO since 2017. He has received awards five times and has no disciplinary breaches. His personnel file describes him as conscientious and devoted.
Georgiev told reporters that what worries him most is the political situation during an election campaign, because subjective factors make the outcome hard to predict.