Bulgarian Helsinki Committee

"In 2017, there has been a stagnation in the protection of human rights in Bulgaria, with some areas deteriorating: the authorities and the public sphere have been deaf for human rights and civil society has failed to raise concerns about major issues and this task stands on the agenda in 2018.

A Bulgarian court has ordered Deputy Prime Minister and nationalist party leader Valeri Simeonov to refrain from using hate speech following anti-Roma statements he made in parliament in 2014, lawyers from a human rights group said on Wednesday.

Nominations for the "Person of the Year" awards - annual prizes of contributions to human rights and human rights protection of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) are now open. By November 15, 2017, anyone can send their nominations of people and organizations whose work over the past year has contributed to the promotion of human rights in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), the leading organization for protecting human rights, is about to be shut down, reports Mediapool.

In a video, part of the campaign, several Bulgarian activists, public men and journalists urge for closing down the Committee.

The election process in Bursa is going very slowly and a lot of people there will not be able to vote, stated for BNR Kaloyan Stoev, an observer from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC).

The Justice Ministry has been allocated EUR 10 500 to pay two prison inmates who have won cases against Bulgaria, the government says.

Jock Palfreeman and Nikolay Shahanov will be paid EUR 3500 and EUR 7000 respectively.

The Interior Ministry and the State Agency for Refugees must look for the provocateurs of the riot in Harmanli among the so-called "patriotic" parties and organisations, reckons the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC).

Turkey's Embassy in Bulgaria has issued a statement condemning the attack on Krasimir Kanev, the head of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee who on Thursday was subjected to an attack in downtown Sofia.

The statement, sent to Novinite, reads as follows:

US Ambassador Eric Seth Rubin has issued a statement condemning the attack on Krasimir Kanev, the head of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee who on Thursday was subjected to an attack in downtown Sofia.

The statement, sent to Novinite, reads as follows:

Bulgarian authorities have not only failed to counter the climate of intolerance, but "have actively engaged in inflammatory speech and at times openly encouraged violence," John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe Director, has said.

His words follow the attack on Krasimir Kanev, who heads the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee on Friday.