Civil society coalition denounces attack on the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
1 October 2019
We, members of the CivicSolidarity Platform (CSP) condemn the recent attack on the BulgarianHelsinki Committee (BHC), a CSP member and leading Bulgarian human rights NGO.We express our support and solidaritywith the BHC and call on the Bulgarian government to ensure that theorganization can carry out its legitimate and important human rights workwithout interference, intimidation and harassment.
On 30 September 2019, the Macedonian RevolutionaryOrganization (VMRO), which is part of Bulgaria’s ruling government coalition,asked the Prosecutor General to initiate proceedings aiming at thede-registration of the BHC. VMRO representatives called for the withdrawal ofBHC’s legal status, which de-facto would mean that the organization would beprohibited from undertaking its work.
The BHC is a well-known andrespected NGO that promotes respect for international human rights standardsand protects the rights of victims of human rights violations, includingminorities and migrants in Bulgaria. It provides submissions to courts,organizes seminars and other educational events for prosecutors and judges, andrepresents clients before domestic courts and the European Court of HumanRights (ECtHR). In the opinion of the VMRO party, these activities constitute“interference with the judiciary”, contrary to Article 117 of the BulgarianConstitution, which provides that the judicial power is independent.
This is not the first time thatthis right-wing party initiates such actions. On two occasions in the past VMROhas used intimidation and harassment against BHC and its Director KrassimirKanev, a leading human rights defenderand international human rights expert. In 2017, party representativesasked the Prosecutor General to initiate prosecution against Mr. Kanev for“sabotage”, with reference to hisletter to the European Commission in which he expressed concern that the rightsof LGBTI in Bulgaria are not guaranteed neither in law nor in practice. Earlierin 2014, the same party wrote to the National Revenue Agency requesting aninvestigation of the BHC’s finances after the organization condemned the racistrhetoric of VMRO politicians against migrants. Although the first request wasnot acted upon by the Prosecutor General and the National Revenue Agency didnot find any irregularity in the BHC’s finances, these actions nevertheless putpressure on Mr. Kanev and the BHC.
It is disturbing that the VMRO,using its position in the ruling coalition where it has greater influence thanpreviously, now again attacks the BHC and its leader. We are concerned that theparty’s new initiative may also reinforce suspicion and mistrust against theBHC and Mr. Kanev and, at worst, provoke other hostile actions against them. Werecall that previously, in 2016, Mr. Kanev was physically attacked in theBulgarian capital, Sofia by unknown perpetrators who were never found andprosecuted.
The developments described aboveare of particular concern in a country where intolerance is on the rise, andwhere the safety of those who work for the protection of minorities and themost vulnerable groups of the population can no longer be taken for granted. Wedeplore the VMRO’s actions and call on the Bulgarian government to abide by itsinternational obligations with respect to freedom of association and otherfundamental freedoms by immediately putting an end to the threats facing theBHC and ensuring the safety and operating capacity of the organization and itsrepresentatives.
Signed by the following CSP members:
InternationalPartnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Belgium
Public Verdict, Russia
Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Helsinki Committee of Armenia
Centre for the Development ofDemocracy and Human Rights, Russia
SOVA Center for Information andAnalysis, Russia
DRA Berlin, Germany
Kazakhstan International Bureaufor Human Rights and the Rule of Law
Public Association Dignity,Kazakhstan
Human Rights Movement "BirDuino-Kyrgyzstan"
Public Foundation Golos Svobody,Kyrgyzstan
Association UMDPL, Ukraine
Helsinki Foundation for HumanRights, Poland
Promo LEX Association, Moldova
Human Rights MonitoringInstitute, Lithuania
World Organisation AgainstTorture (OMCT), Switzerland
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly –Vanadzor, Armenia
Macedonian Helsinki Committee
Citizens' Watch, Russia
ZARA, Austria
Netherlands Helsinki Committee
Center for Participation andDevelopment, Georgia
Truth Hounds, Georgia/Ukraine
Coalizione Italiana per leLibertà e i Diritti civili (CILD), Italy
Lawyers' Committee for HumanRights YUCOM, Serbia
Protection of Rights withoutBorders, Armenia
Helsinki Association for HumanRights, Armenia
Belarusian Helsinki Committee
UNITED for Intercultural Action,Netherlands
Women of the Don, Russia
Сenter for Civil Liberties,Ukraine
Austrian Helsinki Association
Human Rights Matter, Germany
Social Action Centre, Ukraine
Moscow Helsinki Group
Norwegian Helsinki Committee
KRF Public Alternative, Ukraine
Swiss Helsinki Committee
Crude Accountability, United States
Nota Bene, Tajikistan
Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
Fair Trials, United Kingdom
