Justice Ministry

By May 31, 2015 the state owed BGN 113.6 M in unrefunded value-added tax (VAT) to companies, according to data presented by Bulgaria's Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov in a written response to a question addressed to him.

An inmate of the Alevi faith, a secular version of Islam, was permitted to meet with an Alevi religious leader, known as an Alevi Dede, in prison thanks to a ruling which allowed imams to preach in prisons.

The meeting between inmate Miktat Algül, 47, and an Alevi Dede from the Cem Foundation's Ankara branch occurred on May 18 and marked a first in Turkey's history. 

The Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) "?mral? Delegation" has said the stalled resolution process should be protected by rendering it "state policy," regardless of what form the new Turkish government takes.

The German authorities have approved the extradition to Montenegro of the suspected drug trafficker Safet Kalic, Montenegro's Justice Ministry confirmed on Thursday.

Following his arrest in Austria in October 2014, Kalic was extradited to Germany to face drugs charges there - while Montenegro also sought his extradition.

The Bulgarian government is due to adopt Wednesday a document which cuts the Justice Ministry's staff by 632, local media outlets report.

Prison employees will be most severely affected by the cuts, with 550 due to be laid off.

Secondary budget beneficiaries with the ministry currently number 5956.

The government has launched an isolation of imprisoned outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan in ?mral? Island where he is serving a life sentence, a leading deputy of the Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) said on June 12.

Justice Minister Robert Cazanciuc on Thursday welcomed President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Dean Spielmann to discuss, among other things, property returning and detention conditions in Romania's penitentiaries.

Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Church of Greece, on Thursday failed to back a government bill giving greater rights to gay couples, although he did not directly criticize the draft law either.

A Justice Ministry bill that was put up for public consultation on Wednesday stipulates that same-sex couples entering cohabitation agreements should have the same rights as married couples but bars them from marriage and common adoption.

Gay couples will have the right to enter into civil union partnerships, according to a bill prepared by the Justice Ministry that was made public on Wednesday.

Same-sex partners will not be allowed to adopt children jointly, but the draft legislation does recognize property and hereditary rights.