Amnesty International Report 1995 - Bulgaria

There were reports of torture and ill-treatment by the police. Many of the victims were Roma, two of whom died in detention in suspicious circumstances. Two death sentences were passed, but there were no executions. In May Bulgaria ratified the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In February the National Assembly debated a proposal to lift the moratorium on executions introduced in June 1990. When no decision was taken, 49 deputies petitioned the Constitutional Court. The court ruled in July that the decision to retain or abolish the death penalty is within the competence of the National Assembly and urged the deputies to take a decision as soon as possible. In July the National Assembly adopted the Judiciary Act which introduced new criteria for the appointment of members of the Supreme Judicial Council, of Supreme Court judges and of the chief prosecutor. The law also made possible the removal of such officials who were appointed after elections in October 1991. In September, however, the Constitutional Court ruled that members of the Supreme Judicial Council could not be removed until the expiry of their term in 1996 and that the new criteria for appointments could not be applied retroactively. In September Parliament adopted a law on national defence which provides for a civilian alternative to military service. However, no statutory rules for the alternative service had been enacted by the end of the year. Around 7,000 men, including some conscientious objectors, had reportedly failed to appear before army selection boards by the end of August. Trials of suspected perpetrators of past human rights abuses continued. In September Nadia Dunkin, a witness in the trial of three former officials of the Lovech labour camp (see Amnesty International Reports 1993 and 1994), was killed. She had reportedly received death threats after speaking publicly about killings and torture of detainees. Ethnic Macedonians, members of Obedinena Makedonska Organizatsiya "Ilinden", the United Macedonian Organization "Ilinden", were subjected to arbitrary arrests and detained briefly in police stations. In April Stoyan Machkarov, Lyubomir Vasilev and Aleksandar Iliev were detained in Blagoevgrad while putting up posters announcing an assembly at Rozhen Monastery (see Amnesty International Report 1994). They were reportedly beaten by police officers who attempted to make them confess that they were being paid for their political activity. In September two men were detained in Sandanski for handing out leaflets. Reports of apparently racially motivated torture and ill-treatment of Roma by police officers indicated that such abuses were widespread. The authorities also failed to protect Roma from racist violence. In February, in Dolno Belotintsi, racist attacks by violent crowds of local people lasted several days after a man was killed by a Rom. The crowds burned down one Roma home and broke into others smashing windows and destroying furniture and other household goods. The victims complained and reportedly failed to receive protection from the regional police department. In March and April a group of around 60 "skinheads" attacked Roma homes in Pleven. When they set fire to the home of Zaharinka Koleva they reportedly shouted: "We will burn you alive". According to witnesses, the police did not intervene to stop the attack and in some cases beat the Roma with truncheons. None of the perpetrators was arrested although the identity of many was well known to local people. In August police carried out a raid on the Roma community in Pazardjik. Armed officers reportedly broke into Roma homes without presenting warrants and indiscriminately beat the occupants. Police had carried out a similar raid on this community in 1992 (see Amnesty International Report 1993). No results of an official investigation into the first incident had been published by the end of the year and none of the victims of ill-treatment had won any redress through the courts. Kiril Yosifov Yordanov, the only victim who persisted in his complaint about ill-treatment, was allegedly beaten and intimidated by police officers on 17 October. In two cases, alleged torture of Roma in detention resulted in death. Lyubcho Sofiev Terziev died in the police station in Kazanluk, two days after his arrest in August. In September Slavcho Lyubenov Tsonchev died in Pleven police station. Two people were sentenced to death for murder during the year. However, no executions had taken place in Bulgaria since 1989. In February Amnesty International wrote to the deputies of the National Assembly urging them not to lift the moratorium on executions. In March and April the organization expressed concern to the authorities about the reported failure of the police to protect Roma from racially motivated attacks in Dolno Belotintsi and in Pleven. In April and September Amnesty International expressed its concern about the detention and ill-treatment of ethnic Macedonians. Amnesty International repeatedly urged the authorities to investigate reports of beating and other ill-treatment of Roma. In September the organization published a report, Bulgaria: Turning a blind eye to racism, and urged the government of Prime Minister Lyben Berov to establish an independent commission to conduct a full and impartial inquiry into all allegations of ill-treatment of Roma. In October Amnesty International expressed concern about the alleged torture resulting in death of Slavcho Lyubenov Tsonchev. No reply from the authorities had been received by the end of the year in response to any of Amnesty International's concerns.