The director of the SDVR has suspended three policemen because of the police violence since the evening of the pogrom at the football protest last Thursday. After completion of the inspection ordered by him, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the three already suspended employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – a department commander and two senior police officers.
The investigation continues against at least two more police officers, said the director of the Metropolitan Directorate of Internal Affairs, Lubomir Nikolov. He specified that he self-reported police violence immediately after the incident. Other police officers are being identified and will eventually be held responsible for their actions, added the head of the SDVR.
The political and professional leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a joint statement to the media, in which both Minister Kalin Stoyanov and Chief Secretary Zhivko Kotsev condemned the unacceptable excess of police rights and violence.
I do not tolerate or accept any form of violence. Both on civilians and policemen, said the Minister of the Interior Kalin Stoyanov. Anyone who has used violence will be investigated and will be held accountable, the minister added.
And I want a thorough analysis of all forms of violence, he pointed out.
According to Stoyanov, the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs cannot be put under a common denominator with the cases in which there was an excess of authority.
The Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhivko Kotsev, called for reason and less talking from people who do not understand police work. He warned not to escalate the situation, as there is a football match today.
“My appeal is to those who do not have expertise – to stop politicking. People who do not have expertise should not talk,” said Kotsev. “We will not tolerate people in the Ministry of the Interior who have no desire to work,” he added.
Tags: senior police officers suspended excesses football protest
