Amnesty International has published its annual report on the state of human rights in the world and in Bulgaria.
The increase in armed conflicts and the lack of will to actually implement international law are the most serious threat to human rights globally, the organization says. At the same time, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the inability to introduce adequate regulation create new conditions for discrimination, racism and division.
The report draws attention to the deepening deterioration of freedom of expression in Bulgaria, noting the expansion of the practice of filing strategic “slap cases” against media and journalists as a form of harassment and stopping inconvenient investigations. The organization notes the parliament’s efforts to provide better protection to journalists against such practices, but defines the changes in the Penal Code as “inadequate”, also noted by Amnesty International.
Amnesty International draws attention to the increasingly frequent cases of illegal pushing of refugees and migrants at the border with Turkey, the frequent cases of overt discrimination against Roma and attempts to instill hatred against ethnic minorities by political parties.
The report notes Bulgaria’s continued inability to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities and highlights the alarming state of conditions for people housed in psychiatric institutions and social care homes.
The rights of LGBTI people in the country are still not guaranteed after the Supreme Court of Cassation canceled the possibility of legal gender change for trans people. There is still no legal recognition of same-sex couples in the country, which is a violation of the right to private and family life.
Tags: Amnesty Internationals report Slap cases journalists Bulgaria stop embarrassing investigations
