MINELRES: ERRC files a police brutality case against Bulgaria in Strasbourg

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: European Roma Rights Center <errc@errc.org>


21 April 2004

ERRC files a case in Strasbourg following the refusal of Bulgarian 
authorities to investigate a serious police brutality incident

On 21 April 2004, the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), together with 
Bulgarian Attorney Alexander Kashumov, filed an application with the 
European Court of Human Rights against Bulgaria arising out of an
incidence of police violence and racism against Roma in Sofia on 18 July
2001.

The incident involved three young Romani men, Trayan Jorov Sashov, Krum 
Sotirov Yankov and Zdravko Alexandrov Simeonov. They were arrested by 
plainclothes police officers brandishing handguns who accused them of 
stealing metal sheets. Soon after being arrested and handcuffed, two of
the Romani men were beaten by police officers and thrown into the trunk
of a police car. They were taken to the 6th District Directorate of
Internal Affairs in Sofia where all three were repeatedly beaten by
police officers and exposed to racist insults. They were released after
24 hours. A forensic medical report confirmed that they had suffered
injuries as a result of the beatings.

On 28 August 2001, the three Romani men, with the assistance of the
Romani Baht Foundation, filed a complaint with the Regional Military
Prosecutor in Sofia against unidentified police officers for assault. On
31 January 2002, the Regional Military Prosecutor's Office issued a
decision not to open criminal proceedings, stating that the use of force
by police officers was lawful. An appeal and subsequent complaints to
the Bulgarian Supreme Prosecutor's Office and Chief General Prosecutor
did not succeedl in persuading Bulgarian authorities to investigate the
incident comprehensively and bring charges against the offenders.

On behalf of the three Romani applicants and together with local
counsel, 
the ERRC has taken this case to the European Court of Human Rights, 
alleging violations of Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman and 
degrading treatment), Article 13 (lack of an effective domestic remedy), 
and Article 14 (discrimination) of the European Convention for the 
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The applicants seek
a finding that the Bulgarian Government violated its obligations under
the European Convention and request just compensation for the abuse
suffered at the hands of the police.

ERRC Executive Director Dimitrina Petrova said, "The use of unjustified
and excessive force, coupled with racism, by Bulgarian police officers,
without any desire on the part of the authorities to investigate and
prosecute the offenders is, unfortunately, a common occurrence for many
Roma living in Bulgaria. We hope that by bringing this case we will not
only obtain justice for the three Romani men in question, but also
contribute to the change in attitudes of the police and the prosecuting
authorities in Bulgaria".

Additional information on the situation of Roma in Bulgaria is available
at 
http://errc.org/publications/indices/bulgaria.shtml. For more regarding
this case, please contact Ivan Ivanov, Staff Attorney, European Roma
Rights Center 
(e-mail: ivanov@errc.org, phone: +36 1 413 2200).

_____________________________________________

The European Roma Rights Center is an international public interest law 
organisation which monitors the rights of Roma and provides legal
defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more information about the
European Roma Rights Center, visit the ERRC on the web at
http://www.errc.org.

European Roma Rights Center
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary


Phone: +36 1 4132200
Fax:   +36 1 4132201

_____________________________________________

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