Bulgaria: Additional information on alternative military service
| Publisher | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BGR8753 |
| Cite as | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bulgaria: Additional information on alternative military service, 1 June 1991, BGR8753, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2474.html [accessed 24 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a 1991 Amnesty International report, the right to conscientious objection in Bulgaria is not guaranteed by a concrete legal provision, however, in the past the government issued a number of decrees which allowed the possibility for young men to satisfy their regular conscription obligation by working in certain industrial sectors for five years, or by being admitted as students in certain professional disciplines provided they committed themselves to working for at least ten years in their special field (Amnesty International January 1991, 7). These decrees were abolished on 21 August 1990 and a new law on alternative service is said to be in preparation (Ibid.)
There is no further information available on the suspension of these decrees or the development of the new law.
A United Nations document also indicates that there is no official alternative service in Bulgaria (United Nations E/CN.4/Sub.2/1983/30/Rev.1, 1985, 26) and no recognition of conscientious objection (Ibid., 23). However, the document also states that the possibility exists for objectors to perform non-combatant duties within the army (Ibid., 26), but this is granted on an ad hoc rather than legal basis (Ibid. 30). No further details are given.
Please find attached excerpts from the recent update on conscientious objection from Amnesty International and a United Nations document which describes in general the concept of alternative service.
There is no further information currently available to the IRBDC on alternative military service or non-combatant duties within the military in Bulgaria.
Bibliography
Amnesty International. January 1991. Conscientious Objection to Military Service.
United Nations. (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1983/30/Rev.1). Conscientious Objection to Military Service. 1985.
Attachments
Amnesty International. January 1991. Conscientious Objection to Military Service.
United Nations. (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1983/30/Rev.1). Conscientious Objection to Military Service. 1985.
