USA with a report on human rights in our country: Cruelty, corruption and problems with the judicial system – Bulgaria

Torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment, serious problems with the independence of the judiciary and corruption in government. These are part of the conclusions of the report on Bulgaria of the United States Department of State on human rights for the year 2023, it says NOVA.

The document says there is credible evidence of crimes and violence motivated by anti-Semitism, as well as crimes against homosexuals.

The report does note, however, that the government has taken steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses. According to Washington, however, these actions have often been insufficient.

The judicial system

The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, but corruption, inefficiency and lack of accountability are serious problems affecting the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. The independence of the judiciary was compromised and public confidence in the judiciary remained low as magistrates were susceptible to political pressure. On May 30, the non-governmental organization “Anti-Corruption Fund” published an interview with the ex-wife of Petyo Petrov-Euroto – Lyubena Pavlova. In it, she claims her ex-husband influenced prosecutors through bribery and influence peddling, extortion and career incentives. According to Pavlova, high-ranking government officials knew about Petrov’s activities and also participated. On May 31, the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Petyo Evroto on charges of participation in extortion and illegal surveillance and wiretapping. Since November, he has been wanted by Interpol, Europol and the Schengen Information System.

Exceeded powers by the Ministry of Internal Affairs

The report includes examples of police arbitrariness and abuse of power in 2023. It cites a report by the “Bulgarian Helsinki Committee” (BHK), according to which 27% of detained Bulgarians suffered violence during their arrest and 24% were subjected to violence in a police station. BHK claims that prison guards and police officers are rarely punished and notes a lack of convictions or sanctions for perpetrators. In May, the police conducted an action against the distribution of drugs in a nightclub in Plovdiv, forcing nearly 400 customers inside to undress. In June, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sanctioned six police officers. On October 10, there is such a people MP Toshko Yordanov accused the police of harassing and intimidating the protesting miners, calling them for questioning during the ongoing negotiations with the government.

On November 17, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov dismissed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Stoyan Temelakiev due to numerous media reports of excessive use of force and police violence during the November 16 soccer fans’ protest in Sofia. Video footage of the protest reportedly showed a man lying on the ground surrounded by several police officers kicking him. In response to the accusations, Nikolay Denkov requested from the Ministry of Internal Affairs a “quick and maximally transparent” identification of the individual police officers, public disclosure of their names and maximum disciplinary punishments against them.

Corruption

According to a study by the Basel Institute for Governance published in May, the judiciary, the public health system and the police are the most affected by corruption. The creation of a mechanism for accountability of the Prosecutor General and his deputies is considered. In its July report, the European Commission called the new legislation a positive step, but noted a “continuing problem” of low effectiveness in investigations and weak effectiveness in prosecuting and final convictions in high-level corruption cases.

The EC claims there are serious legal gaps in the integrity of people appointed to senior executive positions. The Bulgarian office of Transparency International claims that the lack of transparent use of public resources, attacks on civil society and unregulated lobbying in the legislature are factors contributing to corruption. According to the ACF, the real scale of corruption at the highest levels of government remains hidden due to the high percentage of acquittals in corruption cases.

Pressure on journalists

In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, intimidation by politicians, as well as administrative and judicial pressure against publishers and journalists, are identified as a common practice in Bulgaria. Journalists and publishers have often been victims of wrongful litigation. The anti-corruption fund notes that while most cases against journalists ultimately end in acquittals, so-called “slap” cases increase self-censorship among 25 percent of journalists and contribute to a “vulnerable media environment.” Amnesty International cites research by the Association of European Journalists in its 2022/2023 report, which shows that one in ten journalists have been threatened with legal action. An Amnesty report notes that “journalists and human rights defenders living outside the capital Sofia are particularly vulnerable to intimidation.”