Bulgaria: Extortion perpetrated by skinheads; police involvement; Special Investigative Services (SIS) involvement; is violence required before officials will become involved

The Research Directorate was unable to find reports specifically focusing on acts of extortion perpetrated by skinheads in Bulgaria, or statistics or studies that differentiated between violent and non-violent extortion.

A 2000 report of official Bulgarian crime statistics differentiates between "failed" and "successful" crimes and noted that failed attempts to extort dropped 39.7 per cent (Sofia BTA 25 July 2000). Bulgarian business owners identified extortion as an ongoing problem, however, in a 2001 poll conducted by Vitosha Research among Bulgarian and foreign executives (ibid. 29 Apr. 2001). The poll reported that "more than half" acknowledged that bribe-paying was not a widespread practice, but 63 per cent saw "racketeering and extortion as a source of ongoing serious problems" (ibid.). According to this source, 65 per cent of business owners do not believe that the police can be "counted on for effective protection of business against crime" (ibid.).

According to a letter submitted to the United Nations Security Council in December 2001:

The Special Investigative Service investigates terrorist acts committed abroad, acts of politically motivated terrorism as well as cases of kidnapping and unlawful deprivation of liberty of persons enjoying international protection, taking of hostages whose release is contingent on certain conditions, perpetration of punishable acts against civil aircraft as envisaged in the respective conventions. This Service fulfills foreign requests for legal assistance related to procedural investigation of acts of terrorism. There are examining magistrates of this Service who specialize in the investigation of terrorist acts (27 Dec. 2001, 8).

Country Reports 2001, however, noted that the "Special Investigative Service (SIS), which provides investigative support to prosecutors on serious criminal cases, is a judicial branch agency and therefore is not under direct executive branch control" (4 Mar. 2002).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 4 March 2002. United States Department of State. Washington D.C. [Accessed 24 June 2002]

Sofia BTA [Internet Version, in English]. 29 April 2001. "Poll Assesses Bulgarian Firms' Opinions on Competition, Corruption, Finance." (FBIS-EEU-2001-0429 29 Apr. 2001/WNC)

_____. 25 July 2000. "Official Data Shows Crime Rates Drop, Economic Offenses Increase." (FBIS-EEU-2000-0725 25 July 2000/WNC).

United Nations. Security Council. 27 December 2001." (S/2001/1273) Note verbale dated 24 December 2001 from the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations Addressed to the Chairman of the Committee Established Pursuant to Resolution 1373 (2001) Concerning Counter-Terrorism." [Accessed 24 June 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

Internet cites including:

All the Web

Bulgarian Helsinki Committee

Country Reports (2000-2001)

Google

Government of Bulgaria, Ministry of Defense

Government of Bulgaria, Ministry of the Interior

Greek Helsinki Committee

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Transparency International

UK Immigration and Nationality Directorate Country Assessments

World News Connection