Bulgaria Puts Migrant 'Hunter' Under House Arrest

A regional court in the town of Malko Tarnovo on Friday released Petar Nizamov, the vigilante migrant hunter who published a video of three Afghan migrants he had "captured" on April 10, to home arrest.

The court said there were no sufficient grounds to keep the 30-year-old in detention pending the rest of his trial. If proven guilty, he could face up to six years in prison. The next court session will be on April 21 in Burgas, the judges announced.

A dozen supporters of Nizamov protested in front of the court building, waving Bulgarian flags, some of them wearing military clothes.

The unrepentant vigilante emerged from the court shouting "Long Live Bulgaria" and was welcomed with shouts and applause.

His lawyer told BIRN that he had already filed an appeal against home arrest.

Nizamov was arrested on Monday.

The prosecution launched an investigation against him after he published an amateur video of his apprehension of illegal migrants on Facebook.  

It showed three men lying with their faces to the ground and their hands tied behind their backs with plastic bands while the "hunters" shouted "No Bulgaria - go back to Turkey!"

Burgas prosecutor Lubomir Petrov said on Wednesday that the vigilante was recognized by one of the three Afghan men, who were later found by the border police, no longer tied up.

According to tthe hree, around ten people, armed with knives, one of them with a gun, pushed them on the ground, beat them, tied them up and rifled their pockets for money and other possessions.

Police later raided Nizamov's house, where they found knives, a machete and marijuana, the prosecution said.

Citizens' arrests are illegal in Bulgaria but have become popular among nationalist groups which...

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