Razer and Stefan - Bulgar morons

**Razer** · 07-08-2012, 07:08 PM

Originally posted by George S. View Post

at least the serbians gave macedonia independence which is more we can say about bulgaria.

I'm really surprised you can say something like that mate. Today your wonderful country is an economical hostage of Serbia.

In 1991 Bulgaria was the first country to recognise Macedonia? And we did it to prevent the Serbia from attacking you. In 2001 Bulgaria gave you tanks for free so that you can fight the Albanians. In 2009 Bulgaria gave Macedonia 20 000 free vaccines worth 200 000 euro.

Why would Bulgaria do all that if it has an anti-Macedonian conspiracy?

And how cam you say the article about OMO is propaganda when it's written by the very chairman of the organisation, who was involved with its formation from the very beginning? Do you think the Bulgarian government has forced him to do so against his will?

**Razer** · 07-08-2012, 07:20 PM

And I'm not saying I believe everything the Bulgarians say. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of dark secrets in the closet...This is why I want to go to Pirin and check it our myself. I have two friends there and both of them have invited me, but right now I'm very busy with work.

**Razer** · 07-08-2012, 07:31 PM

And the facts that today, over 20 years since gaining its independence, Macedonia is still in very close economical lock with Serbia, which is moving closer and closer to joining the EU (and will probably do so first) while Macedonia is moving further and further away from it, should be alarming to you. But instead, you guys spent 95% of your time reading about the past of Alexander the Great and only 5% of actually working towards the better future for Macedonia. You have a wonderful and beautiful country! Do you think it belongs to the Albanians? Or the Muslims? Of course not! IT BELONGS TO YOU!

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 09:59 PM

why don't we invite the amhri the australian human rights people ,they have met up with omo.

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:17 PM

here's one of their press releases.

OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN, AMHRC, and MHRMI - Press Release

UN Expert Recommends Bulgaria Recognise Its Macedonian Minority

February 15, 2012

Читај ја оваа страница на македонски

Blagoevgrad/Gorna Dzumaja (Bulgaria), Melbourne (Australia) and Toronto (Canada)

OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN, the political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, together with the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) and Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) welcome the recent release of the report of the United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues on the situation in Bulgaria.

The report was made public on 3 January 2012 by the newly appointed UN Independent Expert, Ms. Rita Izsak and follows the visit to Bulgaria in July 2011 of her predecessor, Ms Gay McDougall. During the visit to Bulgaria, the Independent Expert met with representatives of the Macedonian minority in the country. The delegation comprised of: Stojko Stojkov, Co-President of OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN and Stahil Tupalski, Central Council Member of OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN; Stojan Gerasimov from the Society of Repressed Macedonians; and Georgi Hristov, the Chief Editor of the pro-Macedonian newspaper, Narodna Volja. The meeting gave the Macedonian organisations the opportunity to provide the Independent Expert with a first hand, documented account of the problems facing the Macedonian population in Bulgaria.

The post-visit report made a number of observations in relation to the situation of minorities in Bulgaria. In paragraphs 66-67, devoted to the Macedonian minority, the Independent Expert noted that:

"66. Article 54 of the Bulgarian Constitution states that "everyone shall have the right to avail himself of the national and universal human cultural values and to develop his own culture in accordance with his ethnic self-identification, which shall be recognized and guaranteed by the law." However, the Government denies the existence of an ethnic Macedonian minority, and does not recognize the Pomaks (considered as Bulgarian-speaking Muslims by the Government) as a distinct minority – claiming that both groups are in fact ethnic Bulgarians. Representatives of those who self-identify as ethnic Macedonians and as Pomaks claim that their minority rights are consequently violated.

67. Ethnic Macedonians consider it of crucial importance that their ethnic identity and distinctiveness be officially recognized. Community representatives strongly dispute census findings reflecting very low and declining numbers of Macedonians,and claim that the true population is many times higher. The Macedonian language is not recognized or taught in schools and Macedonians are not represented on the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues.

Most significantly though, the Independent Expert made a number of significant recommendations in relation to the recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.

In relation to respect for self-identification the Independent Expert recommended that:

"93. In accordance with its Constitutional provisions to respect the right to ethnic self-identification, the Government should ensure and protect this right, as well as the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association of members of the Macedonian and Pomak minorities.

94. Policies relating to the recognition and rights of minority groups must be assessed in relation to the State's obligations under international human rights law. Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that "in those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language." The question of the existence of minorities is addressed by the Human Rights Committee in its general comment No. 23 (1994) on the rights of minorities. Article 5.2 states that "the existence of an ethnic, religious or linguistic minority in a given State party does not depend upon a decision by that State party but requires to be established by objective criteria."

95. With regard to identification with a particular racial or ethnic group, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has established in its general recommendation No. 8 (1990) on article 1 of the Convention that "such identification shall, if no justification exists to the contrary, be based upon self-identification by the individual concerned." The right of individuals to freely identify as belonging to an ethnic, religious or linguistic group is therefore established in international law. Domestic law should recognize such rights and ensure that no individual or group suffers from any disadvantage or discriminatory treatment on the basis of their freely chosen identity as belonging (or not) to an ethnic, religious, linguistic or any other group.

On Bulgaria's refusal to abide by judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, the views of the Independent Expert were quite explicit:

96. Bulgaria should comply fully with the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) relating to persons belonging to such communities and implement its rulings without further delay. Associations should be allowed to register and function without impediment, use their chosen names and express their ethnic identities freely. Associations that have been denied in the past should promptly be given official registration.

The Independent Expert also recommended the introduction of the Macedonian language to the Bulgarian education system:

"97. The Government's position not to allow the use of mother tongue languages as the language of instruction in schools, particularly in regions where minorities are a majority or constitute a large percentage of the population, is a concern for minorities, including the Roma, Turkish Muslims and Macedonians. Bilingual education commencing in the early years of schooling would enable children to become proficient in their mother tongue as well as in Bulgarian. Furthermore, it would enable them to maintain their ethnic and linguistic identity and help minority pupils to achieve positive educational outcomes. The Government is urged to consider introducing bilingual education and to ratify the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages"

OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN, the political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, together with the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) and Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) demand that the Bulgarian Government to take note of the report of the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues and implement, in full and without delay, each of the recommendations contained in the report.

The full report can be downloaded here:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.56.Add.2_en.pdf

###

OMO "Ilinden" PIRIN is a political party supporting the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. It has been banned since 2000, despite a 2005 European Court of Human Rights Judgement ruling that the decision was a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. For more information please visit www.omoilindenpirin.org.

Established in 1984 the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) is a non governmental organisation that advocates before governments, international institutions and broader communities about combating discrimination and promoting basic human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment. For more information please visit www.macedonianhr.org.au, or contact AMHRC by email [email protected] or via +61 3 93298960.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information, please visit www.mhrmi.org, or contact MHRMI at 416-850-7125, or [email protected].

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:28 PM

2008 OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

Working Session 3: Fundamental freedoms II
Freedom of assembly and association

Statement of the UMO „Ilinden” - PIRIN

September 30, 2008

Thank you Mr Moderator.

Today I would like to bring everyone’s attention a case concerning Bulgaria’s refusal to respect the right of freedom of association.

The United Macedonian Organisation “Ilinden” PIRIN is a political party defending the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. It was officially registered in 1999. However a year later the party was banned by the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria.

In 2005, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the banning of the party was a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Unfortunately, more than three years after the Strasbourg judgment Bulgaria has failed to execute this judgment. In the last two years two new applications for re-registration have been rejected by Bulgarian Courts.

Thus, UMO Ilinden PIRIN remains unregistered.

The right of a minority, which of includes the right of the members of the Macedonian minority of Bulgaria to register an organisation is guaranteed in paragraph 32 of the Copenhagen Document.

Therefore the refusal, on multiple occasions, to register an association raises serious questions about Bulgaria dedication to OSCE commitments. This is especially concerning when we consider the obligation to register UMO Ilinden PIRIN stems from a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.

Mr Moderator, UMO “Ilinden” PIRIN invites Bulgaria to declare when it will re-register UMO Ilinden PIRIN and fulfill its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and various OSCE commitments.

I thank you for your attention.

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:30 PM

2008 OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

Working Session 4: Rule of Law II
Prevention of torture

Statement of the UMO „Ilinden” - PIRIN

October 1, 2008

Thank you Mr Moderator.

This morning I would like to make the following statement on physiological torture and intimidation carried out by Bulgarian authorities against members of the United Macedonian Organisation “Ilinden” PIRIN.

As you heard yesterday, in 2005 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the banning of OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN was a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Following the judgment the party tried unsuccessfully to re-register the party in 2006 and 2007.

Following the first attempt to re-register the party, Bulgarian authorities embarked on a systematic campaign of harassment and intimidation against members of our party. All 5,800 members of our party, I repeat, all 5,800 members of our party were officially interrogated by the police!

Village by village, city by city, members of the party were visited at home or at their place of work and were summoned to the local police station to answer absurd questions on their involvement with OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN. Some of the questions included:

1) Why are you a member of OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN?
2) How much money were you paid for becoming a member of the party?
3) Do you know that this party is a separatist and illegal party?

Apparently Bulgarian authorities were looking for so-called evidence of manipulation of the population and irregularities in the registration process. After almost 5,800 interviews not a single person was charged with an offence. There was no evidence of the absurd allegations. After almost 2 years, officially the investigation is still continuing.

Of course the intention of the so-called “investigation” was not find irregularities. The intention was to intimidate, harass and discourage Bulgarian citizens from associating with OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is psychological torture.

Out of more than 300 political parties in Bulgaria, OMO Ilinden PIRIN is the only party subject to such harassment. No other party has had their entire membership investigated by the police.

Yesterday we heard from the Bulgarian delegation that OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN is free to make a new application for re-registration under the current law. Well the current law requires a party to have 5,000 members.

Taking into consideration the campaign of intimidation and harassment conducted by the Bulgarian police, who will now want their name associated with OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN?

I ask the Bulgarian ambassador, would you become a member of such an organisation for fear of being visited by the Bulgarian police at their home or at work?

Thank you Mr Moderator.

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:33 PM

HDIM-OSCE in Warsaw:
Greece and Bulgaria Strongly Criticized on Minority Issues

October 4, 2005

by Georgios N. Papadakis

Source: http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?op...emid=1&lang=mk

Representatives from Macedonian and Turkish minority organizations at the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) of the OSCE in Warsaw, ending last Friday (30.9.2005), told the meeting that Greece continues to refuse to recognize any ethnic or linguistic minorities, other than the so-called “Muslim” minority in the west Thrace region.

The minority organisations, represented by Pavle Voskopoulos for Vinozhito/Rainbow and Cemil Kapza from the Turkish Union of Xanthi, also underlined that Greece is unwilling to register, or in some cases stop, cultural NGO’s bearing the names “Macedonian”, for example, the ‘Home Of Macedonian Culture’ case. This also applies to “Turkish”, in the Turkish Union Of Xanthi case. These actions continue despite rulings from the European Court for Human Rights.

Greece also rejects the introduction of the Macedonian language to the educational system, in the regions where it is spoken. The official Greek state’s approach on this matter, presented once more in Warsaw, claims that there is no Macedonian language but just “an oral Slavic idiom”, spoken only by a few thousand mainly elderly people in northern Greece.

At the same meeting Stojan Georgiev, representing Macedonians from Bulgaria and vice-president of OMO Pirin, asked Bulgarian state representatives why the country, which is in line for EU accession, refuses to register Macedonian organisations. State officials said that the Bulgarian state is not interfering in purely judicial issues such as the OMO Pirin registration, adding that in any case there are no Macedonians in Bulgaria.
The remarks from Greece and Bulgaria drew the attention of the other OSCE member states and both countries had to face a tough stance from the US and the Canadian delegations.
Officially, but also at informal talks, the two countries were urged to implement all necessary measures for the recognition and protection of ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity in their territories.

In early September European Free Alliance (EFA) President Nelly Maes wrote to the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Sergej Stanishev requesting that the Macedonian minority be recognised and OMO Pirin alowed to register; that there be a separate question in the census so that that Macedonians can declare themselves; and that “Bulgaria would clarify Article 44 of its constitution” with regard to Macedonians, ‘whereby the state defines itself as uninational and homogenous and that all actions against the unity of the nation are banned.” To date Ms Maes has received no reply. (Eurolang 2005)

OSCE
Vinozhito/Rainbow
EFA

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:34 PM

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
19 September – 30 September 2005, Warsaw

The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria
Report by Macedonian Human Rights Movement International

Table of Contents

Introduction
Bulgaria Denies Registration of Macedonian Organizations
Defamation of Macedonians on Bulgarian Television
OMO PIRIN’s Office Vandalized
Macedonian Activists Arrested/Detained
Expulsion from Work
Interference by Bulgarian Authorities at Macedonian Commemorations
Bulgarian Ultra-Nationalists Threaten Ethnic Macedonians
Violations of OMO Ilinden’s Freedom of Assembly
Bulgarian TV Station Criticized for Frequent Racist Remarks
Conclusion
Contact Information for Macedonian Activists in Bulgaria

Introduction

The Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Whether it be through outright discrimination, the uneven application of laws which on their surface do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly identify as Macedonians repeatedly suffer abuses of their human rights.

Bulgaria Denies Registration of Macedonian Organizations

OMO Ilinden, a Macedonian cultural and human rights organization in Bulgaria, won their European Court of Human Rights case against Bulgaria on October 2, 2001, in which the ECHR ruled that there had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. OMO Ilinden was founded in 1990 to unite Macedonians in Bulgaria on a regional and cultural basis and to achieve recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 1991 the association was refused registration as the courts ruled that its aims were directed against the unity of the nation, that it advocated ethnic hatred and was dangerous for the territorial integrity of Bulgaria. (ECHR Press Release – Oct.2, 2001)

It was hoped that the ruling in favour of OMO Ilinden would pave the way for immediate registration of the organization and a positive effect on human rights developments in Bulgaria in the future. However, OMO Ilinden has still not been registered. The two Macedonian political parties, OMO PIRIN and OMO Ilinden PIRIN (the latter was de-registered in 2000 and has initiated a European Court case against Bulgaria), have also not been registered. Following are some of the outrageous reasons used by the Sofia court to refuse OMO PIRIN’s application for registration on 12 December 2002:

1. The name PIRIN may be confused with the mountain by the same name
2. The Macedonian sun on OMO PIRIN’s flag is the same as the flag of the Republic of Macedonia (this despite the fact that the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag in 1995)
3. The organization wants to change the ethnic consciousness of the Bulgarian population by making them Macedonians
4. The Constitution of OMO PIRIN did not cover all aspects of the organizational structure of the organization such as elections, delegates, etc. (in fact, the Constitution was written by a lawyer).

Despite the European Court’s ruling, it is apparent that the Bulgarian government has no intention of registering these Macedonian organizations.

Defamation of Macedonians on Bulgarian Television

The following is a press release by the MHRMC issued on March 13, 2005.

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada (MHRMC) condemns the recent defamation and ridicule of the ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria by two of the national television stations: Bulgarian TV (BTV - www.btv.bg) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT - www.bnt.bg).

On March 6th 2005, on the weekly show “Sblusuk” (Conflict), www.sblusuk.com, which airs every Sunday at 9:00 on Bulgarian Television, the theme of debate was “Do the Macedonian language and nation really exist II”.

This highly nationalistic and racist topic had been previously debated on the show on January 27th, 2002, with the sole intention being to “prove” that Macedonians do not exist and that they are in fact Bulgarians. In front of a cheering and applauding studio audience, the 2002 episode set a new low for publicly sanctioned racism, xenophobia and intolerance toward the Macedonian minority of Bulgaria.

Remarkably, the recent 2005 episode was worse. One side of the debate – supported by Nikola Georgiev, a Bulgarian TV host and Nikolai Knchev, vice-president of the Ultra-Nationalist Bulgarian VMRO party – argued that Macedonians do not exist and that they are really Bulgarians and on the other side – supported by Christian Bankov, a Doctor of Philosophy and Aleksandar Dimitrov, a student – there was a general consensus that Macedonians were previously Bulgarians but it is possible that they can now exist as Macedonians and that this should be accepted.

Regardless, the main conclusion derived from the show was that there are only two types of “Macedonians”: those who are illiterate and those who are “professional Macedonians”, ie. Serbian agents who say they are Macedonian in order to save their pay.

Moreover, the show went on to argue that the Republic of Macedonia does not have an ounce of democracy in it, maintaining that students in Macedonia have been physically mistreated by the police for declaring themselves as Bulgarians. They also accused Macedonia of not being democratic enough to host a talk-show similar to theirs – i.e. A show whose sole purpose is to espouse national ideology at the expense of its ethnic minorities.

The episode also went on to note some statistics, stating that “between the two World Wars 170.000 Bulgarians were killed in Macedonia – 30.000 during WWII – for fighting to join Macedonia to their fatherland Bulgaria". This is not only factually incorrect, but there was also no mention of the Macedonian position and Macedonian activists and members of the large ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria were not asked to appear on the show.

At the end of January of this year, on the weekly show “Every Sunday” – which airs every Sunday at 5:30pm on Bulgarian National Television - the topic of debate was whether or not the Macedonian language should be used in schools and on TV within the Republic of Bulgaria.

Though it was obvious that the underlying arguments put forth by the show’s host, Kevork Kevorkian, promoted the usual Bulgarian nationalist hard-line: that Macedonians do not exist and that their language is a dialect of Bulgarian, the show was particularly bad in this instance because of its inability to present the other side of the argument, namely to allow members of the sizable Macedonian minority in Bulgaria as well as Macedonian activists in Bulgaria to voice their opinion. Instead, the program showcased a fervent, anti-Macedonian, Greek nationalist named Christopher Tzavela, who ranted about how Macedonians do not exist and how their language should never be allowed on television and in schools.

OMO PIRIN (www.omopirin.org), the political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, sent a letter to the show expressing their views, however, they were not allowed equal time.

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada denounces the above rhetoric by the Bulgarian media and is appalled that these state-sanctioned abuses take place in a country that is set to enter the European Union. The MHRMC calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to apply pressure on Bulgaria to immediately recognize its large Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all international human rights conventions. Moreover, the MHRMC calls on the European Union to make Bulgaria's accession to the European Union explicitly conditional on its recognition of its Macedonian minority.

The MHRMC also asks the international conglomerate, News Corporation, which owns 100% of BTV and which also owns Fox, Direct TV and many other media outlets, to carry out its own investigation in regards to the portrayal of minorities – especially the ethnic Macedonians – on BTV in Bulgaria and remind it that its assets should not be used for open and public defamation of minorities in foreign countries.

Note: Since these programs aired, a number of Macedonian organizations and individuals sent protest letters and emails to the television stations. They often read viewer email on air, but not one opposing view was broadcast. Furthermore, Stojko Stojkov, an executive member of OMO PIRIN, sent an open letter to BTV and the newspapers Monitor, Dnevnik, Standart, and Struma, but it was not published. He had left his mobile number as contact information for the letter to the editor, and he subsequently received a text message signed by the Bulgarian VMRO (nationalistic Bulgarian political party) stating “Die You Dirty Srbophile Traitors”.

OMO PIRIN’s Office Vandalized

OMO PIRIN’s office in the city of Goce Delchev is the constant target of vandals and has been damaged several times. For example, on the evening of September 22, 2004, unidentified persons destroyed the party’s flag, which was the fourth such incident within a few months. The police, however, have refused to take action because the damage is “less than 50 Euros” However, they refuse to take into consideration the fact that this is happening to a party and a party’s symbol. OMO PIRIN suspects that the perpetrators are a young group of Neo-Nazis, as well as members and sympathizers to the ultra-nationalist Bulgarian VMRO, whom are notorious for having close ties to the policy in this city.

On October 1, 2004, three flags were stolen from OMO PIRIN’s office but again the police refused to investigate. With the request from order no 271/04 for 12/02/2004 Mr. Anton Vencislavov Dimitrov, a District Attorney from a lower court in the city of Goce Delcev, asserts that there will be no official inquiry into the theft of three flags from the club of the party OMO PIRIN for the following reasons: “The act officially meets the criteria to be labeled as theft. However, because of the small value of the flags as well as the obvious unknown menace to society...”

Macedonian Activists Arrested/Detained

On the 6th of August 2003, in Goce Delcev, Ivan Gargavelov, a member and adviser to OMO PIRIN, approached Nikolina Chakrdkova, in the presence of Dimitar Moskov, and asked her why she is plagiarizing Macedonian folklore and authored songs, why she is declaring them as her own, and why she is repeatedly presenting them as Bulgarian, going even so far as adding the word “Bulgarian”. He told her that this furthers anti-Macedonian propaganda.

The next day they were arrested and taken into the police station within the bureau of deputy chief Georgi Vasilev Barakov where the aforementioned lady was also present. While there, they were served a document, which charged them with hooliganism and disturbance of the peace. Within the station they gave a written statement, however this was not presented to the court. Subsequently, they were immediately taken away to the city courts where judge Kostadin Popover promptly found them guilty and ordered them to pay a fine. They were then not allowed to appeal or to file a complaint to a higher court. All of this occurred without the defendants having access to a lawyer. The defendants have taken their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

At the end of September 2004 in the city of Goce Delchev, a teacher by the name of Dimitar Srbakov, a sympathizer of OMO PIRIN and a contributor to Macedonian Sun magazine, was taken into police custody without a warrant. State security forces try to force Mr. Srbakov to write a declaration that the essays in the Macedonian Sun magazine are not his and that they are plagiarized. In regards to these articles, Mr. Srbakov is undertaking a civil suit against Staljo Stalev, because the latter called the former a degenerate numerous times in the local newspaper. The suit has dragged on for more than 2 years in court without any end or resolution in sight. A lesser court passed the manner to a higher court. During the proceedings in the higher court, Mr. Srbakov was not given any chance to speak nor present his case, while the other party was allowed to speak for thirty minutes, and when Mr. Srbakov objected, the judge apparently got offended and asked Mr. Srbakov to leave his courtroom or that he would call the police. Mr. Srbakov did not leave and the judge closed the courtroom, returning the case to the lower court. Throughout this entire case there have been numerous delays, due to formal reasons, as well as “health reasons” and other reasons. If Mr. Srbakov had agreed to declare that he did not write these articles, this might lead to an ending of the suit against Staljo Stalev. At the same time Mr. Stalev lay charges against Mr. Srbakov within the state court, which led of a chain of events to find Mr. Srbakov. The charges/interrogations were undertaken by the District Attorney Chilev and by another officer Vlahov, who after extensively questioning Mr. Srbakov, gave him a questionnaire with 8 questions such as: what does OMO PIRIN fight for, what is the difference between being a sympathizer and a member, is it true that he read out a declaration of this party at some gathering, and more… After the local court authorities found that they had no ground for laying charges the state court intervened and told them they did not undertake the investigation and interrogation correctly, forced the police to bring in Mr. Srbakov again into the police. He was called in again and the next day the police officer Halacev, who had previously denied identifying himself and giving his rank. At the same time the Supreme Court of Bulgaria contacted the Supreme Court of Macedonia, with a demand that they make themselves aware of the articles by Mr. Srbakov in the Macedonian Sun magazine and also they demanded from the magazine itself to answer the question as to who wrote the articles. They have still not received an answer. The articles by Mr. Srbakov maintain that the Macedonian nation exists and that it is awakening in Bulgaria.

The following is a press release issued by the MHRMC on December 30, 2003:

On November 16, 2003, Georgi Radulov, a member of the Macedonian minority political party in Bulgaria, OMO Ilinden PIRIN, was harassed by Bulgarian police in Sofia airport when returning from Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Radulov had attended the European Free Alliance meeting in the European Parliament on November 13-14, where he had advocated recognition and human rights for the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.

At passport control in Sofia, Bulgarian police seized Mr. Radulov’s passport and told the other people in line to “Go to the other entrance because we have a lot more work with this citizen”. Mr. Radulov asked why he was being held up and he asked the policeman to identify himself. The police officer refused to answer either question. He then led Mr. Radulov to the customs area and an official named Zhivko Dulev bombarded Mr. Radulov with questions about his whereabouts, the purpose of his visit to Brussels, and exactly what he had said. Mr. Radulov demanded to know the reason for this interrogation and he was told that the order came from the lieutenant.

All of the documents that Mr. Radulov had from the European Parliament meeting were also seized and Mr. Radulov’s luggage was searched. Police later returned the documents after apparently photocopying them. Mr. Radulov demanded a written declaration outlining the details of the search. He finally received a document with the name of the presiding official, Ivan Mihailov, but a reason for the search was never given. The whole ordeal lasted about two hours.

According to Mr. Radulov, “Bulgarian authorities try to intimidate Macedonian human rights activists – we are constantly monitored, videotaped, and threatened if we raise the issue of recognition and human rights for the Macedonians in Bulgaria.”

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to apply pressure on Bulgaria to immediately recognize its large Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all international human rights conventions. Moreover, the MHRMC calls on the European Union to make Bulgaria's accession to the European Union explicitly conditional on its recognition of its Macedonian minority.

Expulsion from Work

Macedonian activists have been fired from their jobs because of their advocacy of Macedonian human rights. Stefan Micov-Vlahov, the president of the society for independent writers of Bulgaria and professor and Doctor of Philosophy, was recently laid off and told that the reason “downsizing of the academic group” even though he had the most seniority and he was the only one let go. Botjo Vangelov, the co-president of OMO PIRIN, was forced to leave his job as director of a dormitory.

Interference by Bulgarian Authorities at Macedonian Commemorations

Macedonians have been videotaped, harassed, beaten, fined, and even imprisoned simply for taking part in the following important Macedonian cultural events.

February - Blagoevgrad
Commemoration in honour of Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev’s birthday

Police attempted to block OMO PIRIN’s commemoration on Feb.2, 2005, but the OMO PIRIN members would not relent. The police eventually allowed the commemoration to take place.

April - Sandanski
Anniversary of Macedonian revolutionary Yane Sandanski's death

OMO PIRIN received a permit from the mayor of Sandanski to hold a commemoration on April 24, 2005. They proceeded to advertise the event to local Macedonians and the Macedonian diaspora because of its historical significance. OMO PIRIN recently learned that the mayor has revoked the permit and instead gave it to the Focus News Agency, which has never before celebrated this event and is notorious for its anti-Macedonian rhetoric.

In April 2004, OMO Ilinden notified the authorities in the municipality of Sandanski that it would organize commemorative activities near the Rozhen Monastery on 18 April between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. However, the mayor issued a permit for the event to be organized only between 10 A.M. and noon without stating any reason for this limitation. (IHF report to the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights)

May - Blagoevgrad
Anniversary of the killing of Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev

On the 03/05/2004, the police chief of the city of Blagoevgrad, Vasil Mitov, ordered the leaders of the Macedonian parties (OMO Ilinden and OMO PIRIN), not to undertake provocations within the Municipality of Blagoevgrad in commemoration of the 101 anniversary of the death of Goce Delchev, without the permission of the Mayor. They are not to be allowed to demonstrate or to allow their members to wave” flags and other symbols which are foreign to Bulgaria, nor are they allowed to raise commemorative plates with anti-Bulgarian writings and that they will be held accountable in front of the law.

July/August – Petrich
Celebration of the Ilinden uprising of August 2, 1903

In August, a request by OMO Ilinden to commemorate the 1903 anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising by organizing an event in Samuilova Krepost, near Petrich, was turned down by the Petrich mayor. The mayor sought to justify his decision by saying that another organization had filed a request to organize an assembly on the same spot on the same day and time. The Petrich District Court later overturned this decision. (IHF report to the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights)

September - Blagoevgrad

On Sunday, September 12, 2004, OMO PIRIN intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). They had informed the local authorities that the event would take place at the Gotse Delchev monument in the centre of the city of Blagoevgrad.

Approximately 80 members arrived at the Gotse Delchev monument intending to lay wreaths and flowers but they were surrounded by members of the Bulgarian nationalistic party VMRO and were prevented from reaching the monument. The Bulgarian police, who were present during the incident, refused to intervene. Similar incidents, sometimes with more severe consequences, occur every time a Macedonian organization intends to hold an event in Bulgaria.

On September 12, 2003 the mayor of Blagoevgrad denied the plea by OMO PIRIN and OMO Ilinden to gather in front of the statue of Goce Delchev in the city, because this might lead to a “disturbance of the peace and also that it might lead to a breaking of human rights and freedoms of the people.” No 08-00-1080/12.09.2003.

In September 2004, the municipality of Blagoevgrad, with letter no. 53-00-134/20.04.2004 informed the Macedonian organizations in regards to their intentions to lay wreaths in front of the statue of Goce Delchev in the city, citing that in principle they could do that, however they can not be organized in any way while they are moving through the city. Furthermore, it is mentioned that “Stating that Goce Delchev is a Macedonian Revolutionary is unconstitutional and provocative. Your assembly will lead to a climate where the public order can be broken and where conflicts can occur.” Moreover, the letter also stated that because the municipality had scheduled many holiday observances within the city square, it will not allow for the Macedonian commemoration to take place. It was signed by Lazar Prizhkarov, Mayor.

Bulgarian Ultra-Nationalists Threaten Ethnic Macedonians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International condemns the recent provocations against the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria during their annual Ilinden celebration.

On July 31, 2005 in Betalovoto, Bulgaria, (near the city of Razlog) Macedonian organizations: OMO PIRIN, OMO "Ilinden" PIRIN, TMO VMRO, "Sonce" the Organization of Muslim Macedonians, the editors of newspapers "Narodna Volja" and "Makedonski Glas" and other Macedonian activists gathered to commemorate Ilinden, (Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903).

Despite a history of violence by Bulgarian ultra-nationalists against ethnic Macedonians the Bulgarian government chose not to provide security for the celebrants. Instead, the event was monitored by two members of the Bulgarian state security agency, one of whom was Alosa Kapcin, the Regional Chief of the agency in the Pirin region of Bulgaria. The security agents observed the Macedonian commemorations - which included such innocuous activities as the singing of Macedonian folk songs and the dancing of Macedonian folk dances, - for some time from a distance and then subsequently left the scene.

Minutes after the departure of the state security agents, 15 men armed with bats and sticks emerged from the woods and confronted the Macedonian celebrants, evidently with the intent to harass, intimidate and possibly attack, the Macedonians at the event. The Macedonian activists present believed that the Bulgarian ultra-nationalist party "VMRO" organized the anti-Macedonian group - as it has frequently done in connection with previous Macedonian events of this kind, (please see earlier MHRMC reports at www.mhrmc.ca/reports) Despite the provocation that armed men appearing at a peaceful cultural event represent, the Macedonian activists showed great restraint and did not allow any violence to occur. Seeing the large numbers of ethnic Macedonians at the event and seeing that they could not change the will of the people by force, the Bulgarian nationalist group subsequently scurried away, throwing down their weapons in the process.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International denounces this - yet another - interference at the hands of Bulgarian officials and Bulgarian ultra-nationalists against the ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria and reminds the government of Bulgaria that its actions will be held up to the greatest scrutiny under domestic, European and international laws.

MHRMI further asks that all of the relevant Bulgarian authorities stop orchestrating these violent anti-Macedonian attacks and provide Macedonian activists with appropriate police protection, as is now the norm in democratic countries around the world.

MHRMI also reminds the authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria that in order to join the European Union in 2007, it must meet all of its human rights obligations, including the recognition of the ethnic Macedonian minority within its borders.

Violations of OMO Ilinden’s Freedom of Assembly

(The following excerpts were issued on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 by the Bulgarian media regarding the Macedonian organization and their request to commemorate a Macedonian holiday in Blagoevgrad)

“There will not be a rally and procession of OMO Ilinden”, mayor of the southwestern Bulgarian city of Blagoevgrad, Lazar Prichkapov said for Radio Focus-Pirin. “The southwestern border is very close and if anyone wants to protest or hold rallies, they may do it in Macedonia,” he added.

”The breaking piece of news on the Macedonian televisions' news broadcasts is the ban, which the mayor of Bulgarian southwestern city of Blagoevgrad, Lazar Prichkapov imposed on a demonstration of the illegal separatist organization OMO Ilinden, a correspondent of FOCUS News Agency reported. Macedonian media cite the mayor as saying he would not allow anti-Bulgarian demonstrations of separatist organizations.

Skopje pays attention to a statement of one of the members of OMO Ilinden, Ivan Gargavelov who said that the Bulgarian authorities deprived them of their rights and did not allow them to rally. Private television A1 claims that despite the ban, OMO Ilinden would protest in Blagoevgrad. Late last night members of OMO Ilinden laid flowers at the monument of Macedonian revolutionary fighter Gotse Delchev, located in Blagoevgrad.”

Blagoevgrad. “It’s high time these vagabonds were punished. Their behavior is arrogant”, Krasimir Karakachanov, leader of the (Bulgarian) VMRO and member of the Coalition of the Bulgarian People’s Union (BPU), said for Radio Focus-Pirin. He commented on the request of United Macedonian Organization Ilinden (OMO Ilinden) to hold a demonstration in the centre of Blagoevgrad (southwestern Bulgaria) on Monday.

“OMO Ilinden considers September 12 as a day of genocide upon the Macedonians in Bulgaria, but in fact September 12 is just a date, when one of the wings of VMRO joined the other one”, Karakachanov said.

The Mayor of Blagoevgrad Lazar Prichkapov issued earlier today an order banning the demonstration of OMO Ilinden.

“We will not allow anti-Bulgarian demonstrations in the most Bulgarian town of the country”, the Mayor said.

“Separatists of Illegal OMO Ilinden Tried to Wave Flag of the Vergina Star in Front of AUBG – Blagoevgrad”

Blagoevgrad. “Nearly ten separatists of the illegal Macedonian organization OMO Ilinded tried to wave the flag of the Vergina Star* in front of the building of the American University in Bulgaria /AUBG/ in the town of Blagoevgrad, radio FOCUS – Pirin announced. Minutes ago police have confiscated the flags.

About 20 policemen are guarding the crowd, which intends to organize a procession on the main streets of the town. Earlier the Mayor of the town Lazar Prichkapov issued a decree, which banned the demonstration of the separatist organization.”

Skopje Believes OMO Ilinden will Protest in Blagoevgrad Despite the Ban

Skopje. The breaking piece of news on the Macedonian televisions' news broadcasts is the ban, which the mayor of Bulgarian southwestern city of Blagoevgrad, Lazar Prichkapov imposed on a demonstration of the illegal separatist organization OMO Ilinden, a correspondent of FOCUS News Agency reported. Macedonian media cite the mayor as saying he would not allow anti-Bulgarian demonstrations of separatist organizations.

Skopje pays attention to a statement of one of the members of OMO Ilinden, Ivan Gargavelov who said that the Bulgarian authorities deprived them of their rights and did not allow them to rally. Private television A1 claims that despite the ban, OMO Ilinden would protest in Blagoevgrad. Late last night members of OMO Ilinden laid flowers at the monument of Macedonian revolutionary fighter Gotse Delchev, located in Blagoevgrad.

Bulgarian TV Station Criticized for Frequent Racist Remarks

The Council of Electronic Media placed the nationalist Bulgarian television SKAT on notice that it is being monitoring due to repeated complaints lodged against it by minority group human rights activists.

In this case it was the party of the minority Roma in Bulgaria “The Euroroma” as well as the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee that intervened to publicize the repeated and blatant xenophobic and racist remarks that get disseminated on the programs “Attack”, “Between the Lines” and “All Bulgarians Together”. The above programs - which air weekly on SKAT television – have repeatedly and without restraint made public comments ridiculing the minority groups who live in Bulgaria – especially the ethnic Macedonians.

Stojko Stojkov, the President of “OMO PIRIN” – the Political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria – made the following statement regarding the Bulgarian media:

“Reports and stories which are used to demean the dignity of the Macedonians who live in Bulgaria and ethnic Macedonians in general, are sadly an every day occurrence in Bulgaria and it is virtually impossible to react to all of them… We fully support the initiative by “Evrorama”, the Helsinki Committee and the actions undertaken by the Council of electronic media. Because this television frequently attacks and demeans Macedonians we are also planning to file a complaint with the CEM. This is a very important item on the Agenda of our party.”

Conclusion

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is preparing to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to its state-endorsed acts of oppression.

MHRMI calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to apply pressure on Bulgaria to immediately recognize its large Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all international human rights conventions. Moreover, MHRMI calls on the European Union to make Bulgaria's accession to the European Union explicitly conditional on its recognition of its Macedonian minority.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel: 416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mhrmi.org

Contact Information for Macedonian Activists in Bulgaria

For more information, please contact Macedonian Human Rights Movement International or the following organizations of Macedonians in Bulgaria:

OMO Ilinden
Jordan Kostadinov Ivanov
Ul. Georgi Skrizovski # 31
Sandanski, Bulgaria
Tel/Fax: ++359-746-29-133

OMO PIRIN
Stojko Stojkov
Blagoevgrad 2 700, zh. K. Elenovo
bl 6 B ap. 6, pk Meckarovi
tel: ++ 3598879 75531
fax ++ 359746 23693
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.omopirin.org

OMO Ilinden Pirin
Ivan Singartiski
Oblast Blagoevgradska
Selo Mosomiste, Postenski Kod 2920, Bulgaria
Ivan Gargavelov - secretary
++359-751-24-834
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.omoilindenpirin.org

Sonce – Organization of Islamic Macedonians
President - Damjan Iskrenov
h. ++359-754-5-2808
m. ++359-876-54-347

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:35 PM

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
19 September � 30 September 2005, Warsaw

The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria
Report by Macedonian Human Rights Movement International

Table of Contents

Introduction
Bulgaria Denies Registration of Macedonian Organizations
Defamation of Macedonians on Bulgarian Television
OMO PIRIN�s Office Vandalized
Macedonian Activists Arrested/Detained
Expulsion from Work
Interference by Bulgarian Authorities at Macedonian Commemorations
Bulgarian Ultra-Nationalists Threaten Ethnic Macedonians
Violations of OMO Ilinden�s Freedom of Assembly
Bulgarian TV Station Criticized for Frequent Racist Remarks
Conclusion
Contact Information for Macedonian Activists in Bulgaria

Introduction

The Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Whether it be through outright discrimination, the uneven application of laws which on their surface do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly identify as Macedonians repeatedly suffer abuses of their human rights.

Bulgaria Denies Registration of Macedonian Organizations

OMO Ilinden, a Macedonian cultural and human rights organization in Bulgaria, won their European Court of Human Rights case against Bulgaria on October 2, 2001, in which the ECHR ruled that there had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. OMO Ilinden was founded in 1990 to unite Macedonians in Bulgaria on a regional and cultural basis and to achieve recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 1991 the association was refused registration as the courts ruled that its aims were directed against the unity of the nation, that it advocated ethnic hatred and was dangerous for the territorial integrity of Bulgaria. (ECHR Press Release � Oct.2, 2001)

It was hoped that the ruling in favour of OMO Ilinden would pave the way for immediate registration of the organization and a positive effect on human rights developments in Bulgaria in the future. However, OMO Ilinden has still not been registered. The two Macedonian political parties, OMO PIRIN and OMO Ilinden PIRIN (the latter was de-registered in 2000 and has initiated a European Court case against Bulgaria), have also not been registered. Following are some of the outrageous reasons used by the Sofia court to refuse OMO PIRIN�s application for registration on 12 December 2002:

1. The name PIRIN may be confused with the mountain by the same name
2. The Macedonian sun on OMO PIRIN�s flag is the same as the flag of the Republic of Macedonia (this despite the fact that the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag in 1995)
3. The organization wants to change the ethnic consciousness of the Bulgarian population by making them Macedonians
4. The Constitution of OMO PIRIN did not cover all aspects of the organizational structure of the organization such as elections, delegates, etc. (in fact, the Constitution was written by a lawyer).

Despite the European Court�s ruling, it is apparent that the Bulgarian government has no intention of registering these Macedonian organizations.

Defamation of Macedonians on Bulgarian Television

The following is a press release by the MHRMC issued on March 13, 2005.

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada (MHRMC) condemns the recent defamation and ridicule of the ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria by two of the national television stations: Bulgarian TV (BTV - www.btv.bg) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT - www.bnt.bg).

On March 6th 2005, on the weekly show �Sblusuk� (Conflict), www.sblusuk.com, which airs every Sunday at 9:00 on Bulgarian Television, the theme of debate was �Do the Macedonian language and nation really exist II�.

This highly nationalistic and racist topic had been previously debated on the show on January 27th, 2002, with the sole intention being to �prove� that Macedonians do not exist and that they are in fact Bulgarians. In front of a cheering and applauding studio audience, the 2002 episode set a new low for publicly sanctioned racism, xenophobia and intolerance toward the Macedonian minority of Bulgaria.

Remarkably, the recent 2005 episode was worse. One side of the debate � supported by Nikola Georgiev, a Bulgarian TV host and Nikolai Knchev, vice-president of the Ultra-Nationalist Bulgarian VMRO party � argued that Macedonians do not exist and that they are really Bulgarians and on the other side � supported by Christian Bankov, a Doctor of Philosophy and Aleksandar Dimitrov, a student � there was a general consensus that Macedonians were previously Bulgarians but it is possible that they can now exist as Macedonians and that this should be accepted.

Regardless, the main conclusion derived from the show was that there are only two types of �Macedonians�: those who are illiterate and those who are �professional Macedonians�, ie. Serbian agents who say they are Macedonian in order to save their pay.

Moreover, the show went on to argue that the Republic of Macedonia does not have an ounce of democracy in it, maintaining that students in Macedonia have been physically mistreated by the police for declaring themselves as Bulgarians. They also accused Macedonia of not being democratic enough to host a talk-show similar to theirs � i.e. A show whose sole purpose is to espouse national ideology at the expense of its ethnic minorities.

The episode also went on to note some statistics, stating that �between the two World Wars 170.000 Bulgarians were killed in Macedonia � 30.000 during WWII � for fighting to join Macedonia to their fatherland Bulgaria". This is not only factually incorrect, but there was also no mention of the Macedonian position and Macedonian activists and members of the large ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria were not asked to appear on the show.

At the end of January of this year, on the weekly show �Every Sunday� � which airs every Sunday at 5:30pm on Bulgarian National Television - the topic of debate was whether or not the Macedonian language should be used in schools and on TV within the Republic of Bulgaria.

Though it was obvious that the underlying arguments put forth by the show�s host, Kevork Kevorkian, promoted the usual Bulgarian nationalist hard-line: that Macedonians do not exist and that their language is a dialect of Bulgarian, the show was particularly bad in this instance because of its inability to present the other side of the argument, namely to allow members of the sizable Macedonian minority in Bulgaria as well as Macedonian activists in Bulgaria to voice their opinion. Instead, the program showcased a fervent, anti-Macedonian, Greek nationalist named Christopher Tzavela, who ranted about how Macedonians do not exist and how their language should never be allowed on television and in schools.

OMO PIRIN (www.omopirin.org), the political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, sent a letter to the show expressing their views, however, they were not allowed equal time.

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada denounces the above rhetoric by the Bulgarian media and is appalled that these state-sanctioned abuses take place in a country that is set to enter the European Union. The MHRMC calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to apply pressure on Bulgaria to immediately recognize its large Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all international human rights conventions. Moreover, the MHRMC calls on the European Union to make Bulgaria's accession to the European Union explicitly conditional on its recognition of its Macedonian minority.

The MHRMC also asks the international conglomerate, News Corporation, which owns 100% of BTV and which also owns Fox, Direct TV and many other media outlets, to carry out its own investigation in regards to the portrayal of minorities � especially the ethnic Macedonians � on BTV in Bulgaria and remind it that its assets should not be used for open and public defamation of minorities in foreign countries.

Note: Since these programs aired, a number of Macedonian organizations and individuals sent protest letters and emails to the television stations. They often read viewer email on air, but not one opposing view was broadcast. Furthermore, Stojko Stojkov, an executive member of OMO PIRIN, sent an open letter to BTV and the newspapers Monitor, Dnevnik, Standart, and Struma, but it was not published. He had left his mobile number as contact information for the letter to the editor, and he subsequently received a text message signed by the Bulgarian VMRO (nationalistic Bulgarian political party) stating �Die You Dirty Srbophile Traitors�.

OMO PIRIN�s Office Vandalized

OMO PIRIN�s office in the city of Goce Delchev is the constant target of vandals and has been damaged several times. For example, on the evening of September 22, 2004, unidentified persons destroyed the party�s flag, which was the fourth such incident within a few months. The police, however, have refused to take action because the damage is �less than 50 Euros� However, they refuse to take into consideration the fact that this is happening to a party and a party�s symbol. OMO PIRIN suspects that the perpetrators are a young group of Neo-Nazis, as well as members and sympathizers to the ultra-nationalist Bulgarian VMRO, whom are notorious for having close ties to the policy in this city.

On October 1, 2004, three flags were stolen from OMO PIRIN�s office but again the police refused to investigate. With the request from order no 271/04 for 12/02/2004 Mr. Anton Vencislavov Dimitrov, a District Attorney from a lower court in the city of Goce Delcev, asserts that there will be no official inquiry into the theft of three flags from the club of the party OMO PIRIN for the following reasons: �The act officially meets the criteria to be labeled as theft. However, because of the small value of the flags as well as the obvious unknown menace to society...�

Macedonian Activists Arrested/Detained

On the 6th of August 2003, in Goce Delcev, Ivan Gargavelov, a member and adviser to OMO PIRIN, approached Nikolina Chakrdkova, in the presence of Dimitar Moskov, and asked her why she is plagiarizing Macedonian folklore and authored songs, why she is declaring them as her own, and why she is repeatedly presenting them as Bulgarian, going even so far as adding the word �Bulgarian�. He told her that this furthers anti-Macedonian propaganda.

The next day they were arrested and taken into the police station within the bureau of deputy chief Georgi Vasilev Barakov where the aforementioned lady was also present. While there, they were served a document, which charged them with hooliganism and disturbance of the peace. Within the station they gave a written statement, however this was not presented to the court. Subsequently, they were immediately taken away to the city courts where judge Kostadin Popover promptly found them guilty and ordered them to pay a fine. They were then not allowed to appeal or to file a complaint to a higher court. All of this occurred without the defendants having access to a lawyer. The defendants have taken their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

At the end of September 2004 in the city of Goce Delchev, a teacher by the name of Dimitar Srbakov, a sympathizer of OMO PIRIN and a contributor to Macedonian Sun magazine, was taken into police custody without a warrant. State security forces try to force Mr. Srbakov to write a declaration that the essays in the Macedonian Sun magazine are not his and that they are plagiarized. In regards to these articles, Mr. Srbakov is undertaking a civil suit against Staljo Stalev, because the latter called the former a degenerate numerous times in the local newspaper. The suit has dragged on for more than 2 years in court without any end or resolution in sight. A lesser court passed the manner to a higher court. During the proceedings in the higher court, Mr. Srbakov was not given any chance to speak nor present his case, while the other party was allowed to speak for thirty minutes, and when Mr. Srbakov objected, the judge apparently got offended and asked Mr. Srbakov to leave his courtroom or that he would call the police. Mr. Srbakov did not leave and the judge closed the courtroom, returning the case to the lower court. Throughout this entire case there have been numerous delays, due to formal reasons, as well as �health reasons� and other reasons. If Mr. Srbakov had agreed to declare that he did not write these articles, this might lead to an ending of the suit against Staljo Stalev. At the same time Mr. Stalev lay charges against Mr. Srbakov within the state court, which led of a chain of events to find Mr. Srbakov. The charges/interrogations were undertaken by the District Attorney Chilev and by another officer Vlahov, who after extensively questioning Mr. Srbakov, gave him a questionnaire with 8 questions such as: what does OMO PIRIN fight for, what is the difference between being a sympathizer and a member, is it true that he read out a declaration of this party at some gathering, and more� After the local court authorities found that they had no ground for laying charges the state court intervened and told them they did not undertake the investigation and interrogation correctly, forced the police to bring in Mr. Srbakov again into the police. He was called in again and the next day the police officer Halacev, who had previously denied identifying himself and giving his rank. At the same time the Supreme Court of Bulgaria contacted the Supreme Court of Macedonia, with a demand that they make themselves aware of the articles by Mr. Srbakov in the Macedonian Sun magazine and also they demanded from the magazine itself to answer the question as to who wrote the articles. They have still not received an answer. The articles by Mr. Srbakov maintain that the Macedonian nation exists and that it is awakening in Bulgaria.

The following is a press release issued by the MHRMC on December 30, 2003:

On November 16, 2003, Georgi Radulov, a member of the Macedonian minority political party in Bulgaria, OMO Ilinden PIRIN, was harassed by Bulgarian police in Sofia airport when returning from Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Radulov had attended the European Free Alliance meeting in the European Parliament on November 13-14, where he had advocated recognition and human rights for the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.

At passport control in Sofia, Bulgarian police seized Mr. Radulov�s passport and told the other people in line to �Go to the other entrance because we have a lot more work with this citizen�. Mr. Radulov asked why he was being held up and he asked the policeman to identify himself. The police officer refused to answer either question. He then led Mr. Radulov to the customs area and an official named Zhivko Dulev bombarded Mr. Radulov with questions about his whereabouts, the purpose of his visit to Brussels, and exactly what he had said. Mr. Radulov demanded to know the reason for this interrogation and he was told that the order came from the lieutenant.

All of the documents that Mr. Radulov had from the European Parliament meeting were also seized and Mr. Radulov�s luggage was searched. Police later returned the documents after apparently photocopying them. Mr. Radulov demanded a written declaration outlining the details of the search. He finally received a document with the name of the presiding official, Ivan Mihailov, but a reason for the search was never given. The whole ordeal lasted about two hours.

According to Mr. Radulov, �Bulgarian authorities try to intimidate Macedonian human rights activists � we are constantly monitored, videotaped, and threatened if we raise the issue of recognition and human rights for the Macedonians in Bulgaria.�

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to apply pressure on Bulgaria to immediately recognize its large Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all international human rights conventions. Moreover, the MHRMC calls on the European Union to make Bulgaria's accession to the European Union explicitly conditional on its recognition of its Macedonian minority.

Expulsion from Work

Macedonian activists have been fired from their jobs because of their advocacy of Macedonian human rights. Stefan Micov-Vlahov, the president of the society for independent writers of Bulgaria and professor and Doctor of Philosophy, was recently laid off and told that the reason �downsizing of the academic group� even though he had the most seniority and he was the only one let go. Botjo Vangelov, the co-president of OMO PIRIN, was forced to leave his job as director of a dormitory.

Interference by Bulgarian Authorities at Macedonian Commemorations

Macedonians have been videotaped, harassed, beaten, fined, and even imprisoned simply for taking part in the following important Macedonian cultural events.

February - Blagoevgrad
Commemoration in honour of Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev�s birthday

Police attempted to block OMO PIRIN�s commemoration on Feb.2, 2005, but the OMO PIRIN members would not relent. The police eventually allowed the commemoration to take place.

April - Sandanski
Anniversary of Macedonian revolutionary Yane Sandanski's death

OMO PIRIN received a permit from the mayor of Sandanski to hold a commemoration on April 24, 2005. They proceeded to advertise the event to local Macedonians and the Macedonian diaspora because of its historical significance. OMO PIRIN recently learned that the mayor has revoked the permit and instead gave it to the Focus News Agency, which has never before celebrated this event and is notorious for its anti-Macedonian rhetoric.

In April 2004, OMO Ilinden notified the authorities in the municipality of Sandanski that it would organize commemorative activities near the Rozhen Monastery on 18 April between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. However, the mayor issued a permit for the event to be organized only between 10 A.M. and noon without stating any reason for this limitation. (IHF report to the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights)

May - Blagoevgrad
Anniversary of the killing of Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev

On the 03/05/2004, the police chief of the city of Blagoevgrad, Vasil Mitov, ordered the leaders of the Macedonian parties (OMO Ilinden and OMO PIRIN), not to undertake provocations within the Municipality of Blagoevgrad in commemoration of the 101 anniversary of the death of Goce Delchev, without the permission of the Mayor. They are not to be allowed to demonstrate or to allow their members to wave� flags and other symbols which are foreign to Bulgaria, nor are they allowed to raise commemorative plates with anti-Bulgarian writings and that they will be held accountable in front of the law.

July/August � Petrich
Celebration of the Ilinden uprising of August 2, 1903

In August, a request by OMO Ilinden to commemorate the 1903 anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising by organizing an event in Samuilova Krepost, near Petrich, was turned down by the Petrich mayor. The mayor sought to justify his decision by saying that another organization had filed a request to organize an assembly on the same spot on the same day and time. The Petrich District Court later overturned this decision. (IHF report to the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights)

September - Blagoevgrad

On Sunday, September 12, 2004, OMO PIRIN intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). They had informed the local authorities that the event would take place at the Gotse Delchev monument in the centre of the city of Blagoevgrad.

Approximately 80 members arrived at the Gotse Delchev monument intending to lay wreaths and flowers but they were surrounded by members of the Bulgarian nationalistic party VMRO and were prevented from reaching the monument. The Bulgarian police, who were present during the incident, refused to intervene. Similar incidents, sometimes with more severe consequences, occur every time a Macedonian organization intends to hold an event in Bulgaria.

On September 12, 2003 the mayor of Blagoevgrad denied the plea by OMO PIRIN and OMO Ilinden to gather in front of the statue of Goce Delchev in the city, because this might lead to a �disturbance of the peace and also that it might lead to a breaking of human rights and freedoms of the people.� No 08-00-1080/12.09.2003.

In September 2004, the municipality of Blagoevgrad, with letter no. 53-00-134/20.04.2004 informed the Macedonian organizations in regards to their intentions to lay wreaths in front of the statue of Goce Delchev in the city, citing that in principle they could do that, however they can not be organized in any way while they are moving through the city. Furthermore, it is mentioned that �Stating that Goce Delchev is a Macedonian Revolutionary is unconstitutional and provocative. Your assembly will lead to a climate where the public order can be broken and where conflicts can occur.� Moreover, the letter also stated that because the municipality had scheduled many holiday observances within the city square, it will not allow for the Macedonian commemoration to take place. It was signed by Lazar Prizhkarov, Mayor.

Bulgarian Ultra-Nationalists Threaten Ethnic Macedonians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International condemns the recent provocations against the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria during their annual Ilinden celebration.

On July 31, 2005 in Betalovoto, Bulgaria, (near the city of Razlog) Macedonian organizations: OMO PIRIN, OMO "Ilinden" PIRIN, TMO VMRO, "Sonce" the Organization of Muslim Macedonians, the editors of newspapers "Narodna Volja" and "Makedonski Glas" and other Macedonian activists gathered to commemorate Ilinden, (Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903).

Despite a history of violence by Bulgarian ultra-nationalists against ethnic Macedonians the Bulgarian government chose not to provide security for the celebrants. Instead, the event was monitored by two members of the Bulgarian state security agency, one of whom was Alosa Kapcin, the Regional Chief of the agency in the Pirin region of Bulgaria. The security agents observed the Macedonian commemorations - which included such innocuous activities as the singing of Macedonian folk songs and the dancing of Macedonian folk dances, - for some time from a distance and then subsequently left the scene.

Minutes after the departure of the state security agents, 15 men armed with bats and sticks emerged from the woods and confronted the Macedonian celebrants, evidently with the intent to harass, intimidate and possibly attack, the Macedonians at the event. The Macedonian activists present believed that the Bulgarian ultra-nationalist party "VMRO" organized the anti-Macedonian group - as it has frequently done in connection with previous Macedonian events of this kind, (please see earlier MHRMC reports at www.mhrmc.ca/reports) Despite the provocation that armed men appearing at a peaceful cultural event represent, the Macedonian activists showed great restraint and did not allow any violence to occur. Seeing the large numbers of ethnic Macedonians at the event and seeing that they could not change the will of the people by force, the Bulgarian nationalist group subsequently scurried away, throwing down their weapons in the process.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International denounces this - yet another - interference at the hands of Bulgarian officials and Bulgarian ultra-nationalists against the ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria and reminds the government of Bulgaria that its actions will be held up to the greatest scrutiny under domestic, European and international laws.

MHRMI further asks that all of the relevant Bulgarian authorities stop orchestrating these violent anti-Macedonian attacks and provide Macedonian activists with appropriate police protection, as is now the norm in democratic countries around the world.

MHRMI also reminds the authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria that in order to join the European Union in 2007, it must meet all of its human rights obligations, including the recognition of the ethnic Macedonian minority within its borders.

Violations of OMO Ilinden�s Freedom of Assembly

(The following excerpts were issued on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 by the Bulgarian media regarding the Macedonian organization and their request to commemorate a Macedonian holiday in Blagoevgrad)

�There will not be a rally and procession of OMO Ilinden�, mayor of the southwestern Bulgarian city of Blagoevgrad, Lazar Prichkapov said for Radio Focus-Pirin. �The southwestern border is very close and if anyone wants to protest or hold rallies, they may do it in Macedonia,� he added.

�The breaking piece of news on the Macedonian televisions' news broadcasts is the ban, which the mayor of Bulgarian southwestern city of Blagoevgrad, Lazar Prichkapov imposed on a demonstration of the illegal separatist organization OMO Ilinden, a correspondent of FOCUS News Agency reported. Macedonian media cite the mayor as saying he would not allow anti-Bulgarian demonstrations of separatist organizations.

Skopje pays attention to a statement of one of the members of OMO Ilinden, Ivan Gargavelov who said that the Bulgarian authorities deprived them of their rights and did not allow them to rally. Private television A1 claims that despite the ban, OMO Ilinden would protest in Blagoevgrad. Late last night members of OMO Ilinden laid flowers at the monument of Macedonian revolutionary fighter Gotse Delchev, located in Blagoevgrad.�

Blagoevgrad. �It�s high time these vagabonds were punished. Their behavior is arrogant�, Krasimir Karakachanov, leader of the (Bulgarian) VMRO and member of the Coalition of the Bulgarian People�s Union (BPU), said for Radio Focus-Pirin. He commented on the request of United Macedonian Organization Ilinden (OMO Ilinden) to hold a demonstration in the centre of Blagoevgrad (southwestern Bulgaria) on Monday.

�OMO Ilinden considers September 12 as a day of genocide upon the Macedonians in Bulgaria, but in fact September 12 is just a date, when one of the wings of VMRO joined the other one�, Karakachanov said.

The Mayor of Blagoevgrad Lazar Prichkapov issued earlier today an order banning the demonstration of OMO Ilinden.

�We will not allow anti-Bulgarian demonstrations in the most Bulgarian town of the country�, the Mayor said.

�Separatists of Illegal OMO Ilinden Tried to Wave Flag of the Vergina Star in Front of AUBG � Blagoevgrad�

Blagoevgrad. �Nearly ten separatists of the illegal Macedonian organization OMO Ilinded tried to wave the flag of the Vergina Star* in front of the building of the American University in Bulgaria /AUBG/ in the town of Blagoevgrad, radio FOCUS � Pirin announced. Minutes ago police have confiscated the flags.

About 20 policemen are guarding the crowd, which intends to organize a procession on the main streets of the town. Earlier the Mayor of the town Lazar Prichkapov issued a decree, which banned the demonstration of the separatist organization.�

Skopje Believes OMO Ilinden will Protest in Blagoevgrad Despite the Ban

Skopje. The breaking piece of news on the Macedonian televisions' news broadcasts is the ban, which the mayor of Bulgarian southwestern city of Blagoevgrad, Lazar Prichkapov imposed on a demonstration of the illegal separatist organization OMO Ilinden, a correspondent of FOCUS News Agency reported. Macedonian media cite the mayor as saying he would not allow anti-Bulgarian demonstrations of separatist organizations.

Skopje pays attention to a statement of one of the members of OMO Ilinden, Ivan Gargavelov who said that the Bulgarian authorities deprived them of their rights and did not allow them to rally. Private television A1 claims that despite the ban, OMO Ilinden would protest in Blagoevgrad. Late last night members of OMO Ilinden laid flowers at the monument of Macedonian revolutionary fighter Gotse Delchev, located in Blagoevgrad.

Bulgarian TV Station Criticized for Frequent Racist Remarks

The Council of Electronic Media placed the nationalist Bulgarian television SKAT on notice that it is being monitoring due to repeated complaints lodged against it by minority group human rights activists.

In this case it was the party of the minority Roma in Bulgaria �The Euroroma� as well as the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee that intervened to publicize the repeated and blatant xenophobic and racist remarks that get disseminated on the programs �Attack�, �Between the Lines� and �All Bulgarians Together�. The above programs - which air weekly on SKAT television � have repeatedly and without restraint made public comments ridiculing the minority groups who live in Bulgaria � especially the ethnic Macedonians.

Stojko Stojkov, the President of �OMO PIRIN� � the Political party of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria � made the following statement regarding the Bulgarian media:

�Reports and stories which are used to demean the dignity of the Macedonians who live in Bulgaria and ethnic Macedonians in general, are sadly an every day occurrence in Bulgaria and it is virtually impossible to react to all of them� We fully support the initiative by �Evrorama�, the Helsinki Committee and the actions undertaken by the Council of electronic media. Because this television frequently attacks and demeans Macedonians we are also planning to file a complaint with the CEM. This is a very important item on the Agenda of our party.�

Conclusion

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is preparing to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities� human rights and put an end to its state-endorsed acts of oppression.

MHRMI calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to apply pressure on Bulgaria to immediately recognize its large Macedonian minority and grant it the human rights that it is guaranteed by all international human rights conventions. Moreover, MHRMI calls on the European Union to make Bulgaria's accession to the European Union explicitly conditional on its recognition of its Macedonian minority.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel: 416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mhrmi.org

Contact Information for Macedonian Activists in Bulgaria

For more information, please contact Macedonian Human Rights Movement International or the following organizations of Macedonians in Bulgaria:

OMO Ilinden
Jordan Kostadinov Ivanov
Ul. Georgi Skrizovski # 31
Sandanski, Bulgaria
Tel/Fax: ++359-746-29-133

OMO PIRIN
Stojko Stojkov
Blagoevgrad 2 700, zh. K. Elenovo
bl 6 B ap. 6, pk Meckarovi
tel: ++ 3598879 75531
fax ++ 359746 23693
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.omopirin.org

OMO Ilinden Pirin
Ivan Singartiski
Oblast Blagoevgradska
Selo Mosomiste, Postenski Kod 2920, Bulgaria
Ivan Gargavelov - secretary
++359-751-24-834
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.omoilindenpirin.org

Sonce � Organization of Islamic Macedonians
President - Damjan Iskrenov
h. ++359-754-5-2808
m. ++359-876-54-347

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:38 PM

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

Warsaw, October 5-15, 2004

The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria

Report by the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada (MHRMC)
& Rainbow Organization of the Macedonian Minority in Greece

Introduction

The Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Whether it be through outright discrimination, the uneven application of laws which on their surface do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly identify as Macedonians repeatedly suffer abuses of their human rights.

One positive development occurred in 2001 with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Boris Stankov and the United Macedonian Organization (OMO Ilinden) vs. Bulgaria on Oct.2, 2001. ECHR ruled that there had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. OMO Ilinden was founded in 1990 to unite Macedonians in Bulgaria on a regional and cultural basis and to achieve recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 1991 the association was refused registration as the courts ruled that its aims were directed against the unity of the nation, that it advocated ethnic hatred and was dangerous for the territorial integrity of Bulgaria. (ECHR Press Release – Oct.2, 2001)

It was hoped that the ruling in favour of OMO Ilinden would pave the way for immediate registration of the organization and a positive effect on human rights developments in Bulgaria in the future. However, OMO Ilinden has still not been registered. The two Macedonian political parties, OMO Pirin and OMO Ilinden PIRIN (the latter was de-registered in 2000 and has initiated a European Court case against Bulgaria), and Sonce, the organization of Islamic Macedonians, have also not been registered. Following are some of the outrageous reasons used by the Sofia court to refuse OMO Pirin’s application for registration on 12 December 2002:

1. The name PIRIN may be confused with the mountain by the same name
2. The Macedonian sun on OMO Pirin’s flag is the same as the flag of the Republic of Macedonia (this despite the fact that the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag in 1995)
3. The organization wants to change the ethnic consciousness of the Bulgarian population by making them Macedonians
4. The Constitution of OMO Pirin did not cover all aspects of the organizational structure of the organization such as elections, delegates, etc. (in fact, the Constitution was written by a lawyer)

Despite the European Court’s ruling, it is apparent that the Bulgarian government has no intention of registering any Macedonian organization.

The Bulgarian government still refuses to grant its sizeable Macedonian minority the human rights that are protected by international treaties to which Bulgaria is a signatory. In what seemed to be a positive step, Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saksoburgotski stated on April 8, 2003:

“Bulgaria acknowledges the minorities in the country. In 2001 a few thousand citizens declared themselves as Bulgarians with Macedonian origin, and three thousand citizens stated that the Macedonian language is their mother language. These numbers show the fact that we have a very good understanding of that issue."

However, several instances of tampering by Bulgarian authorities occurred during the last census. These will be outlined later in this report. The claims of only a few thousand Macedonians is well below the estimates by Macedonian human rights activists which place the number from several hundred thousand to over one million. Furthermore, Macedonians did not declare themselves as “Bulgarians with Macedonian origin”, but simply as ethnic Macedonians.

Despite Mr. Saksoburgotski’s claim that the Bulgarian government has a “good understanding” of the Macedonian minority issue, human rights violations against Macedonians were prevalent.

As regards freedom of expression and the media, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly, the Macedonian minority has recently suffered the following human rights violations at the hands of Bulgarian authorities.

Freedom of Expression and the Media:

Blagoevgrad - Vartolomey Night

On Sunday, September 12, 2004, OMO Pirin intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). They had informed the local authorities that the event would take place at the Gotse Dlechev monument in the centre of the city of Blagoevgrad.

Approximately 80 members arrived at the Gotse Delchev monument intending to lay wreaths and flowers but they were surrounded by members of the Bulgarian nationalistic party VMRO and were prevented from reaching the monument. The Bulgarian police, who were present during the incident, refused to intervene. Similar incidents, sometimes with more severe consequences, occur every time a Macedonian organization intends to hold an event in Bulgaria. The following is another example:

On Thursday, September 12, 2002 at approximately 3:00pm, OMO Ilinden intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). About 45 members and sympathizers gathered in front of the US University in Blagoevgrad and marched to the Gotse Delchev monument in Macedonia Square. They intended to place flowers, a wreath, and a banner that contained the text “OMO Ilinden – Stop the Assimilation: We want Macedonian language and culture, human rights, and the right to work!”

Upon reaching the monument, about 25 civilians (all members of the Bulgarian nationalistic political party VMRO) attacked the OMO Ilinden members and beat several of them with sticks. They demanded that OMO Ilinden give up the banner, wreath and two Macedonian flags. The VMRO members took the banner and one flag before the local police, which were already present, separated the two groups.

OMO Ilinden were successful in placing the wreath and flowers at the back of the monument (VMRO members were blocking the front) and Jordan Konstantinov, past-president of OMO Ilinden, gave a speech. At the end of the ceremony, VMRO members again assaulted the Macedonians and the police eventually stopped them.

The next day, the Bulgarian newspaper, Trud, slandered the Macedonian activists claiming that they attacked the VMRO members. They also claimed that the OMO Ilinden members were “drunk” and that they “cursed Bulgaria, VMRO and the journalists that were present during the ceremony.”

As reported by the BBC, a roundtable was held after September 12 because, according to Bulgarian authorities, “The illegal organization OMO Ilinden held an anti-Bulgarian event in Blagoevgrad”. Bulgarian parliamentarians from Blagoevgrad, as well as representatives of political parties, the state and local institutions demanded the passing of a law for the fight against anti-Bulgarian activity in that region, and in the territory of the country as a whole.

According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the ceremony of September 12 brought about social protests and tension and was condemned by all political parties. The following quotations were made by Bulgarian members of parliament:

� Stanimir Ilchev – MP of the National Movement Simeon II – “Bulgaria should go to the European court to prevent events like Sept. 12.”
� Rositsa Totkova – MP United Democratic Forces – gathering of OMO Ilinden was “without the respect of the feelings of others and an open threatening act”
� Aleksandar Abadjiev – MP Left Coalition of Bulgaria – “It’s paramount to prepare the mayors and representatives of local administration how to react to these types of events according to the law and constitution.”

Census

Other than the Turkish and Roma minority groups, the 2001 census in Bulgaria did not provide other minorities the opportunity to declare their ethnic identity. The state refuses to recognize its sizeable Macedonian minority and uses the census to promote its official stance that this group is ethnically Bulgarian. Various radio and TV stations promoted the notion that Bulgaria is largely a homogenous country and that people should identify themselves as Bulgarian. OMO Ilinden PIRIN was unable to counter this view because their access to the media was denied on several occasions. Instead, they printed roughly 80,000 flyers that were distributed throughout the region of Pirin Macedonia stating that the people have every right to declare themselves as ethnic Macedonians and should not fear persecution. Several Bulgarian lawyers were consulted and even though they said that the flyers were legal, the police and Bulgarian media started a campaign to frighten the population by claiming that the leaders of OMO Ilinden PIRIN would be charged and jailed. The following people were called in to the local police station and questioned, intimidated and had charges laid against them: Ivan Singartiski, Ivan Gargavelov, Kostadin Frangov, Krsto Mangusev, Petar Ivanov, Slave Milkov, Angel Radonov, Vladimir Kocarov and others. The Bulgarian police claimed that they were being charged because it was against Bulgarian law to distribute flyers “anonymously”. However, the flyers clearly displayed that they were written and distributed by OMO Ilinden PIRIN.

Rozhen Monastery

On April 22, 2001, members and supporters of OMO Ilinden gathered at the Rozhen Monastery in the city of Sandanski to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Macedonian hero Yane Sandanski. The next day several newspapers (“Trud”, “24 Chasa” and others) published slanderous articles misinforming the public about the events of the gathering. They claimed that members of the group were shouting “Death to Bulgarians” and “We want to see all Bulgarians dead”. (Trud, April 23) They urged authorities to take action against members of the organization. They also claim that members of OMO Ilinden are “scoundrels with limited intellect”. (Trud, April 23)

Several instances of freedom of association violations occurred during this gathering (more information in the section titled Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly)

Macedonian Newspaper - Narodna Volya

The only Macedonian newspaper in Bulgaria, Narodna Volya, is published in Blagoevgrad, in both the Bulgarian and Macedonian languages. No newspapers were confiscated in 2001 by the Bulgarian authorities (as had occurred in previous years), however, no subscribers in the Republic of Macedonia had received their copies since August 2001. The Editor-in-Chief, Georgi Hristov, suspected that the problem lay with the Bulgarian postal system so he brought some newspapers across the border into the city of Delchevo, the Republic of Macedonia in January 2002 and mailed them from there. All subscribers received their newspapers within days. Mr. Hristov subsequently filed complaints with the post office and police in Blagoevgrad but has yet to receive a response.

Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly:

Sandanski – April 2003

On April 21, 2003, members of several Macedonian organizations in Bulgaria mutually commemorated the anniversary of the murder of Macedonian revolutionary Jane Sandanski. In a welcome change, the police did not interfere but there were reports that the event was videotaped by the police in an attempt to intimidate the participants as they had done in the past.

Petrich – July 2002

On Saturday, July 27, 2002 OMO Ilinden members and supporters gathered at King Samuel’s fortress near the town of Petrich in order to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising (Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903).

Approximately 1,500 people attended the ceremony, which included speeches and Macedonian music and dances. While the ceremony was taking place, plainclothes police officers videotaped the OMO Ilinden members and supporters in an effort to intimidate them. The following day, journalists with pictures of the event visited the individual participants and asked them why they would attend “such an anti-Bulgarian event.”

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is hoping to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to such violations.

Macedonian Theatre Group’s Visit to Bulgaria

The following is a quote by Tihomir Stojanovski, Art Director of the Macedonian theatre group “Skrb I Uteha” at the Third Macedonian World Human Rights Conference on September 20, 2003.

“Our second visit to Bulgaria happened in April 2002, and at that time we felt that the resistance towards the Macedonian culture was still present. The Macedonians in the village of Koprivgan were intimidated and we played in front of an empty hall. In the village of Elesnica, the head of the village locked the hall and ran away. In the village of Razlog people waited for us in order to beat us?! We played in villages where the Macedonians were not afraid to take us: the villages of Kremen, Mosomishte, Leski and Sandanski. On our way back to Macedonia, we were held up at the border crossing of Novo Selo/Strumica for seven hours, we were treated like criminals; two journalists and our manager were questioned in the classic Bulgarian police fashion. Our manager was told: “you could have come back with holes in yours heads” and “we let you in once, what are you looking for in Bulgaria for the second time?”

Blagoevgrad – Gotse Delchev Commemoration

Members and supporters of OMO Ilinden PIRIN were prevented from reaching Gotse Delchev’s monument in the city of Blagoevgrad, in order to place flowers in honour of the Macedonian revolutionary’s birthday. The monument was surrounded by armed and civilian police officers who threatened and intimidated the crowd. The police claimed that they had a decree from the Public Prosecutor of Blagoevgrad that was aimed at stopping members of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from approaching the monument. The leadership of the party, in accordance with the Law on Public Information, requested a written statement from the Public Prosecutor explaining the events of Feb.2. A response is yet to be received.

Yane Sandanski Commemoration

Every year, OMO Ilinden members and supporters commemorate the anniversary of Yane Sandanski’s death at his grave near the Rozhen Monastery. On April 4, they submitted a notice to the mayor of Sandanski requesting permission to hold this gathering on April 22, 2001 at 10:30am, as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations. The notice also indicated several events scheduled to take place, namely: mourning rites and placing flowers on the grave; reading two essays about Yane Sandanski; and Macedonian music and dances.

The party did not receive an answer which, according to the law, means that the celebration was not prohibited. On April 22, several violations of the citizen’s rights of peaceful assembly occurred:

� Two Orthodox priests, Father Liuben Katsarski and Father Atanas Petrov, were invited to assist in the mourning rites at the grave of Yane Sandanski at 11:00am. They were, however, prohibited from doing this by the Archimandrite Jovan, the Father Superior of the Rozhen Monastery who in the past had hindered a number of events held by Macedonians at the monastery. The prohibition of the mourning rites took place in front of the police, including the Chief of Police in Sandanski, and the Archimandrite actually threatened the two priests with violence. The police did not interfere, which suggests that the conflict was coordinated in advance. After the priests had left, the several hundred citizens that had gathered were able to approach the grave, lay flowers and light candles.

� Two members of OMO Ilinden, Liliana Kirianova and Angel Trenev, attempted to lay a wreath on the grave that contained a band with the word “Ilinden.” Four policemen surrounded them and demanded that the band be removed. The two activists refused so the police forcefully removed it. Angel Trenev was then arrested and brought to the nearby village of Rozhen (1 km from the grave). He was later released and warned that he would be fined 500 leva (US$240) if he returned to the ceremony.

� Two Bulgarian flags had been placed at the grave before the arrival of the participants. The OMO Ilinden members were warned that they would be punished if they placed flowers on the flags so they had to place the flowers around the grave. Placing flags on graves is not a custom in Bulgaria and no parties or organizations do this in ceremonies of a similar nature. Furthermore, the fact that Bulgarian flags were placed at the grave of Yane Sandanski seems to be an act of deliberate provocation on the part of Bulgarian authorities, who are no doubt conscious that, in the view of most ethnic Macedonians, Sandanski was killed by Bulgarian terrorists who acted on an order of the government in 1915.

� A portrait of Yane Sandanski was to be placed on the podium along with a poster with an inscription of one of his sayings: “The slave fights for liberation and the liberated fights for improvement”. This poster, along with several other objects, were removed by a plainclothes police officer while on the grounds.

� In their attempts to inconvenience the more than 600 participants, the police cut off the electrical supply, did not allow OMO Ilinden to use their loudspeakers, refused to allow the musicians to play, cut off the water supply to the fountain near Yane Sandanski’s grave, and they prohibited anyone from selling food or drinks. Consequently, OMO Ilinden sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg regarding the above restrictions and the state-instigated press propaganda the following day (see Freedom of Expression and the Media: April 2001 - Rozhen Monastery). The ECHR has acknowledged receipt of the complaint.

� The presence of more than 50 police officers near the grave imposed psychological pressure on the participants. According to observers, the situation resembled a military operation against citizens who simply came to commemorate a Macedonian hero.

Blagoevgrad

On this date every year, OMO Ilinden commemorates the anniversary of the killing of the Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev in front of his monument in Blagoevgrad. On April 27, 2001 OMO Ilinden member Atanas Urdev sent a notice to the mayor of the municipality (as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations) notifying him of the planned event. No reply was received which indicates, by law, that the event was not prohibited.

On May 4, at 5:00pm, a group of OMO Ilinden members brought a wreath and flowers to the monument of Gotse Delchev on Macedonia Square in Blagoevgrad. The wreath had a band with an inscription “98 years since the killing of Gotse Delchev – OMO Ilinden” Eight police officers stopped the group about ten metres from the monument and ordered them to remove the band. The police claimed that the District Prosecutor, Snezhana Katsarska, had given them orders to do this but failed to produce a warrant when asked. Furthermore, the activists said that they would not continue with the commemoration if it indeed was prohibited but they wanted to see the warrant (which was never produced). At this point 7-8 people who claimed to be ordinary civilians approached (all of whom were known to local members of OMO Ilinden as law enforcement officers). Among them was the Chief of the Regional Security Service in Blagoevgrad, Mr. Aliosha Kaptchin. OMO Ilinden decided to leave and they went in the direction of the church “St. Bogoroditsa” which is about 1km from Macedonia Square. The “civilians” followed them and tried to provoke an incident by insulting them. Two of them jumped on Mr. Kiril Tilev and tried to take his camera under the pretense that he took pictures of the police officers.

The OMO Ilinden members decided to hold their commemoration in the churchyard of “St. Bogoroditsa”, where there is a monument of several members of Gotse Delchev’s family. They read a short essay and laid the wreath and flowers there. The plainclothes police officers were waiting for them outside the church door and followed them after they left, again provoking and threatening them with the use of physical force. One of the members was told that he would be beaten up again as many of the OMO Ilinden members were at the Rozhen Monastery in 1992. The OMO Ilinden members asked two people to monitor whether the flowers and wreath would remain at the church. The next day they were told that three people took the flowers and wreath and confiscated them.

Macedonian/Bulgarian border

On May 4, 2001, about 70 members and sympathizers of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from the Gotse Delchev and Razlog areas went to Skopje, the Republic of Macedonia to place flowers at the grave of Gotse Delchev in the church grounds of “St. Spas”. At the Zlatarevo border crossing on the way back, the Bulgarian authorities detained their buses for four hours. During that time, the members were intimidated and harassed by the police sent from Blagoevgrad under the leadership of the Chief of Police, Mr. Kaptchin. Only after the leaders of the group threatened that they would return to the Republic of Macedonia and publicize the incident were they allowed entry into Bulgaria.

The same day at 5:00pm, OMO Ilinden PIRIN had announced a flower laying ceremony to be held at Gotse Delchev’s monument in the city of Gotse Delchev. The police were guarding the monument the whole day so that the Macedonians could not honour the revolutionary. The Chief of Police, Mr. Kalinkov, claimed that he had a decree from the Public Prosecutor banning them from the monument. The leadership of the party, following the Law on Public Information, requested a copy of the decree from the Public Prosecutor. Nothing was ever received.

Petrich

On July 29, 2001, OMO Ilinden applied for permission from the city of Petrich to celebrate the Ilinden uprising of August 2, 1903 and to commemorate the blinding of King Samuel’s 14,000 Macedonian soldiers by the Byzantine King Vasilious II in 914AD. The mayor of Petrich did not respond which means, under Bulgarian law, that the event was not prohibited.

While the activists were travelling towards Samuel’s fortress, uniformed police officers stopped them at the village of Strumeshnitsa and forced the people to retreat. The activists and other Macedonians went back to Petrich and tried to place flowers at the monument of Anton Panov, who along with Nikola Vaptsarov was executed by the Bulgarian police in 1942. Uniformed police officers again tried to prevent them from reaching the monument but a few people succeeded in placing flowers at the foot of the monument. Afterwards, the activists and supporters went to OMO Ilinden’s office and continued the ceremony with speeches and music.

While the activists were approaching the fortress, gathering at the monument in Petrich, and conducting the ceremony at the office, plainclothes police officers used video cameras to identify and intimidate the activists and their supporters.

Conclusion:

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is preparing to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to its state-endorsed acts of oppression.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel: 416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mhrmi.org

Presented by:

George Papadakis
Rainbow – Organization of the Macedonian Minority in Greece
Address: Stephanou Dragoumi 11, P.O. Box 51, 53100 Florina, Greece
Tel/Fax: ++ 23850 46548
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.florina.org

For more information, please contact the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada or the following organizations of Macedonians in Bulgaria:

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:38 PM

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

Warsaw, October 5-15, 2004

The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria

Report by the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada (MHRMC)
& Rainbow Organization of the Macedonian Minority in Greece

Introduction

The Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Whether it be through outright discrimination, the uneven application of laws which on their surface do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly identify as Macedonians repeatedly suffer abuses of their human rights.

One positive development occurred in 2001 with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Boris Stankov and the United Macedonian Organization (OMO Ilinden) vs. Bulgaria on Oct.2, 2001. ECHR ruled that there had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. OMO Ilinden was founded in 1990 to unite Macedonians in Bulgaria on a regional and cultural basis and to achieve recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 1991 the association was refused registration as the courts ruled that its aims were directed against the unity of the nation, that it advocated ethnic hatred and was dangerous for the territorial integrity of Bulgaria. (ECHR Press Release � Oct.2, 2001)

It was hoped that the ruling in favour of OMO Ilinden would pave the way for immediate registration of the organization and a positive effect on human rights developments in Bulgaria in the future. However, OMO Ilinden has still not been registered. The two Macedonian political parties, OMO Pirin and OMO Ilinden PIRIN (the latter was de-registered in 2000 and has initiated a European Court case against Bulgaria), and Sonce, the organization of Islamic Macedonians, have also not been registered. Following are some of the outrageous reasons used by the Sofia court to refuse OMO Pirin�s application for registration on 12 December 2002:

1. The name PIRIN may be confused with the mountain by the same name
2. The Macedonian sun on OMO Pirin�s flag is the same as the flag of the Republic of Macedonia (this despite the fact that the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag in 1995)
3. The organization wants to change the ethnic consciousness of the Bulgarian population by making them Macedonians
4. The Constitution of OMO Pirin did not cover all aspects of the organizational structure of the organization such as elections, delegates, etc. (in fact, the Constitution was written by a lawyer)

Despite the European Court�s ruling, it is apparent that the Bulgarian government has no intention of registering any Macedonian organization.

The Bulgarian government still refuses to grant its sizeable Macedonian minority the human rights that are protected by international treaties to which Bulgaria is a signatory. In what seemed to be a positive step, Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saksoburgotski stated on April 8, 2003:

�Bulgaria acknowledges the minorities in the country. In 2001 a few thousand citizens declared themselves as Bulgarians with Macedonian origin, and three thousand citizens stated that the Macedonian language is their mother language. These numbers show the fact that we have a very good understanding of that issue."

However, several instances of tampering by Bulgarian authorities occurred during the last census. These will be outlined later in this report. The claims of only a few thousand Macedonians is well below the estimates by Macedonian human rights activists which place the number from several hundred thousand to over one million. Furthermore, Macedonians did not declare themselves as �Bulgarians with Macedonian origin�, but simply as ethnic Macedonians.

Despite Mr. Saksoburgotski�s claim that the Bulgarian government has a �good understanding� of the Macedonian minority issue, human rights violations against Macedonians were prevalent.

As regards freedom of expression and the media, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly, the Macedonian minority has recently suffered the following human rights violations at the hands of Bulgarian authorities.

Freedom of Expression and the Media:

Blagoevgrad - Vartolomey Night

On Sunday, September 12, 2004, OMO Pirin intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). They had informed the local authorities that the event would take place at the Gotse Dlechev monument in the centre of the city of Blagoevgrad.

Approximately 80 members arrived at the Gotse Delchev monument intending to lay wreaths and flowers but they were surrounded by members of the Bulgarian nationalistic party VMRO and were prevented from reaching the monument. The Bulgarian police, who were present during the incident, refused to intervene. Similar incidents, sometimes with more severe consequences, occur every time a Macedonian organization intends to hold an event in Bulgaria. The following is another example:

On Thursday, September 12, 2002 at approximately 3:00pm, OMO Ilinden intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). About 45 members and sympathizers gathered in front of the US University in Blagoevgrad and marched to the Gotse Delchev monument in Macedonia Square. They intended to place flowers, a wreath, and a banner that contained the text �OMO Ilinden � Stop the Assimilation: We want Macedonian language and culture, human rights, and the right to work!�

Upon reaching the monument, about 25 civilians (all members of the Bulgarian nationalistic political party VMRO) attacked the OMO Ilinden members and beat several of them with sticks. They demanded that OMO Ilinden give up the banner, wreath and two Macedonian flags. The VMRO members took the banner and one flag before the local police, which were already present, separated the two groups.

OMO Ilinden were successful in placing the wreath and flowers at the back of the monument (VMRO members were blocking the front) and Jordan Konstantinov, past-president of OMO Ilinden, gave a speech. At the end of the ceremony, VMRO members again assaulted the Macedonians and the police eventually stopped them.

The next day, the Bulgarian newspaper, Trud, slandered the Macedonian activists claiming that they attacked the VMRO members. They also claimed that the OMO Ilinden members were �drunk� and that they �cursed Bulgaria, VMRO and the journalists that were present during the ceremony.�

As reported by the BBC, a roundtable was held after September 12 because, according to Bulgarian authorities, �The illegal organization OMO Ilinden held an anti-Bulgarian event in Blagoevgrad�. Bulgarian parliamentarians from Blagoevgrad, as well as representatives of political parties, the state and local institutions demanded the passing of a law for the fight against anti-Bulgarian activity in that region, and in the territory of the country as a whole.

According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the ceremony of September 12 brought about social protests and tension and was condemned by all political parties. The following quotations were made by Bulgarian members of parliament:

� Stanimir Ilchev � MP of the National Movement Simeon II � �Bulgaria should go to the European court to prevent events like Sept. 12.�
� Rositsa Totkova � MP United Democratic Forces � gathering of OMO Ilinden was �without the respect of the feelings of others and an open threatening act�
� Aleksandar Abadjiev � MP Left Coalition of Bulgaria � �It�s paramount to prepare the mayors and representatives of local administration how to react to these types of events according to the law and constitution.�

Census

Other than the Turkish and Roma minority groups, the 2001 census in Bulgaria did not provide other minorities the opportunity to declare their ethnic identity. The state refuses to recognize its sizeable Macedonian minority and uses the census to promote its official stance that this group is ethnically Bulgarian. Various radio and TV stations promoted the notion that Bulgaria is largely a homogenous country and that people should identify themselves as Bulgarian. OMO Ilinden PIRIN was unable to counter this view because their access to the media was denied on several occasions. Instead, they printed roughly 80,000 flyers that were distributed throughout the region of Pirin Macedonia stating that the people have every right to declare themselves as ethnic Macedonians and should not fear persecution. Several Bulgarian lawyers were consulted and even though they said that the flyers were legal, the police and Bulgarian media started a campaign to frighten the population by claiming that the leaders of OMO Ilinden PIRIN would be charged and jailed. The following people were called in to the local police station and questioned, intimidated and had charges laid against them: Ivan Singartiski, Ivan Gargavelov, Kostadin Frangov, Krsto Mangusev, Petar Ivanov, Slave Milkov, Angel Radonov, Vladimir Kocarov and others. The Bulgarian police claimed that they were being charged because it was against Bulgarian law to distribute flyers �anonymously�. However, the flyers clearly displayed that they were written and distributed by OMO Ilinden PIRIN.

Rozhen Monastery

On April 22, 2001, members and supporters of OMO Ilinden gathered at the Rozhen Monastery in the city of Sandanski to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Macedonian hero Yane Sandanski. The next day several newspapers (�Trud�, �24 Chasa� and others) published slanderous articles misinforming the public about the events of the gathering. They claimed that members of the group were shouting �Death to Bulgarians� and �We want to see all Bulgarians dead�. (Trud, April 23) They urged authorities to take action against members of the organization. They also claim that members of OMO Ilinden are �scoundrels with limited intellect�. (Trud, April 23)

Several instances of freedom of association violations occurred during this gathering (more information in the section titled Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly)

Macedonian Newspaper - Narodna Volya

The only Macedonian newspaper in Bulgaria, Narodna Volya, is published in Blagoevgrad, in both the Bulgarian and Macedonian languages. No newspapers were confiscated in 2001 by the Bulgarian authorities (as had occurred in previous years), however, no subscribers in the Republic of Macedonia had received their copies since August 2001. The Editor-in-Chief, Georgi Hristov, suspected that the problem lay with the Bulgarian postal system so he brought some newspapers across the border into the city of Delchevo, the Republic of Macedonia in January 2002 and mailed them from there. All subscribers received their newspapers within days. Mr. Hristov subsequently filed complaints with the post office and police in Blagoevgrad but has yet to receive a response.

Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly:

Sandanski � April 2003

On April 21, 2003, members of several Macedonian organizations in Bulgaria mutually commemorated the anniversary of the murder of Macedonian revolutionary Jane Sandanski. In a welcome change, the police did not interfere but there were reports that the event was videotaped by the police in an attempt to intimidate the participants as they had done in the past.

Petrich � July 2002

On Saturday, July 27, 2002 OMO Ilinden members and supporters gathered at King Samuel�s fortress near the town of Petrich in order to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising (Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903).

Approximately 1,500 people attended the ceremony, which included speeches and Macedonian music and dances. While the ceremony was taking place, plainclothes police officers videotaped the OMO Ilinden members and supporters in an effort to intimidate them. The following day, journalists with pictures of the event visited the individual participants and asked them why they would attend �such an anti-Bulgarian event.�

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is hoping to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities� human rights and put an end to such violations.

Macedonian Theatre Group�s Visit to Bulgaria

The following is a quote by Tihomir Stojanovski, Art Director of the Macedonian theatre group �Skrb I Uteha� at the Third Macedonian World Human Rights Conference on September 20, 2003.

�Our second visit to Bulgaria happened in April 2002, and at that time we felt that the resistance towards the Macedonian culture was still present. The Macedonians in the village of Koprivgan were intimidated and we played in front of an empty hall. In the village of Elesnica, the head of the village locked the hall and ran away. In the village of Razlog people waited for us in order to beat us?! We played in villages where the Macedonians were not afraid to take us: the villages of Kremen, Mosomishte, Leski and Sandanski. On our way back to Macedonia, we were held up at the border crossing of Novo Selo/Strumica for seven hours, we were treated like criminals; two journalists and our manager were questioned in the classic Bulgarian police fashion. Our manager was told: �you could have come back with holes in yours heads� and �we let you in once, what are you looking for in Bulgaria for the second time?�

Blagoevgrad � Gotse Delchev Commemoration

Members and supporters of OMO Ilinden PIRIN were prevented from reaching Gotse Delchev�s monument in the city of Blagoevgrad, in order to place flowers in honour of the Macedonian revolutionary�s birthday. The monument was surrounded by armed and civilian police officers who threatened and intimidated the crowd. The police claimed that they had a decree from the Public Prosecutor of Blagoevgrad that was aimed at stopping members of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from approaching the monument. The leadership of the party, in accordance with the Law on Public Information, requested a written statement from the Public Prosecutor explaining the events of Feb.2. A response is yet to be received.

Yane Sandanski Commemoration

Every year, OMO Ilinden members and supporters commemorate the anniversary of Yane Sandanski�s death at his grave near the Rozhen Monastery. On April 4, they submitted a notice to the mayor of Sandanski requesting permission to hold this gathering on April 22, 2001 at 10:30am, as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations. The notice also indicated several events scheduled to take place, namely: mourning rites and placing flowers on the grave; reading two essays about Yane Sandanski; and Macedonian music and dances.

The party did not receive an answer which, according to the law, means that the celebration was not prohibited. On April 22, several violations of the citizen�s rights of peaceful assembly occurred:

� Two Orthodox priests, Father Liuben Katsarski and Father Atanas Petrov, were invited to assist in the mourning rites at the grave of Yane Sandanski at 11:00am. They were, however, prohibited from doing this by the Archimandrite Jovan, the Father Superior of the Rozhen Monastery who in the past had hindered a number of events held by Macedonians at the monastery. The prohibition of the mourning rites took place in front of the police, including the Chief of Police in Sandanski, and the Archimandrite actually threatened the two priests with violence. The police did not interfere, which suggests that the conflict was coordinated in advance. After the priests had left, the several hundred citizens that had gathered were able to approach the grave, lay flowers and light candles.

� Two members of OMO Ilinden, Liliana Kirianova and Angel Trenev, attempted to lay a wreath on the grave that contained a band with the word �Ilinden.� Four policemen surrounded them and demanded that the band be removed. The two activists refused so the police forcefully removed it. Angel Trenev was then arrested and brought to the nearby village of Rozhen (1 km from the grave). He was later released and warned that he would be fined 500 leva (US$240) if he returned to the ceremony.

� Two Bulgarian flags had been placed at the grave before the arrival of the participants. The OMO Ilinden members were warned that they would be punished if they placed flowers on the flags so they had to place the flowers around the grave. Placing flags on graves is not a custom in Bulgaria and no parties or organizations do this in ceremonies of a similar nature. Furthermore, the fact that Bulgarian flags were placed at the grave of Yane Sandanski seems to be an act of deliberate provocation on the part of Bulgarian authorities, who are no doubt conscious that, in the view of most ethnic Macedonians, Sandanski was killed by Bulgarian terrorists who acted on an order of the government in 1915.

� A portrait of Yane Sandanski was to be placed on the podium along with a poster with an inscription of one of his sayings: �The slave fights for liberation and the liberated fights for improvement�. This poster, along with several other objects, were removed by a plainclothes police officer while on the grounds.

� In their attempts to inconvenience the more than 600 participants, the police cut off the electrical supply, did not allow OMO Ilinden to use their loudspeakers, refused to allow the musicians to play, cut off the water supply to the fountain near Yane Sandanski�s grave, and they prohibited anyone from selling food or drinks. Consequently, OMO Ilinden sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg regarding the above restrictions and the state-instigated press propaganda the following day (see Freedom of Expression and the Media: April 2001 - Rozhen Monastery). The ECHR has acknowledged receipt of the complaint.

� The presence of more than 50 police officers near the grave imposed psychological pressure on the participants. According to observers, the situation resembled a military operation against citizens who simply came to commemorate a Macedonian hero.

Blagoevgrad

On this date every year, OMO Ilinden commemorates the anniversary of the killing of the Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev in front of his monument in Blagoevgrad. On April 27, 2001 OMO Ilinden member Atanas Urdev sent a notice to the mayor of the municipality (as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations) notifying him of the planned event. No reply was received which indicates, by law, that the event was not prohibited.

On May 4, at 5:00pm, a group of OMO Ilinden members brought a wreath and flowers to the monument of Gotse Delchev on Macedonia Square in Blagoevgrad. The wreath had a band with an inscription �98 years since the killing of Gotse Delchev � OMO Ilinden� Eight police officers stopped the group about ten metres from the monument and ordered them to remove the band. The police claimed that the District Prosecutor, Snezhana Katsarska, had given them orders to do this but failed to produce a warrant when asked. Furthermore, the activists said that they would not continue with the commemoration if it indeed was prohibited but they wanted to see the warrant (which was never produced). At this point 7-8 people who claimed to be ordinary civilians approached (all of whom were known to local members of OMO Ilinden as law enforcement officers). Among them was the Chief of the Regional Security Service in Blagoevgrad, Mr. Aliosha Kaptchin. OMO Ilinden decided to leave and they went in the direction of the church �St. Bogoroditsa� which is about 1km from Macedonia Square. The �civilians� followed them and tried to provoke an incident by insulting them. Two of them jumped on Mr. Kiril Tilev and tried to take his camera under the pretense that he took pictures of the police officers.

The OMO Ilinden members decided to hold their commemoration in the churchyard of �St. Bogoroditsa�, where there is a monument of several members of Gotse Delchev�s family. They read a short essay and laid the wreath and flowers there. The plainclothes police officers were waiting for them outside the church door and followed them after they left, again provoking and threatening them with the use of physical force. One of the members was told that he would be beaten up again as many of the OMO Ilinden members were at the Rozhen Monastery in 1992. The OMO Ilinden members asked two people to monitor whether the flowers and wreath would remain at the church. The next day they were told that three people took the flowers and wreath and confiscated them.

Macedonian/Bulgarian border

On May 4, 2001, about 70 members and sympathizers of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from the Gotse Delchev and Razlog areas went to Skopje, the Republic of Macedonia to place flowers at the grave of Gotse Delchev in the church grounds of �St. Spas�. At the Zlatarevo border crossing on the way back, the Bulgarian authorities detained their buses for four hours. During that time, the members were intimidated and harassed by the police sent from Blagoevgrad under the leadership of the Chief of Police, Mr. Kaptchin. Only after the leaders of the group threatened that they would return to the Republic of Macedonia and publicize the incident were they allowed entry into Bulgaria.

The same day at 5:00pm, OMO Ilinden PIRIN had announced a flower laying ceremony to be held at Gotse Delchev�s monument in the city of Gotse Delchev. The police were guarding the monument the whole day so that the Macedonians could not honour the revolutionary. The Chief of Police, Mr. Kalinkov, claimed that he had a decree from the Public Prosecutor banning them from the monument. The leadership of the party, following the Law on Public Information, requested a copy of the decree from the Public Prosecutor. Nothing was ever received.

Petrich

On July 29, 2001, OMO Ilinden applied for permission from the city of Petrich to celebrate the Ilinden uprising of August 2, 1903 and to commemorate the blinding of King Samuel�s 14,000 Macedonian soldiers by the Byzantine King Vasilious II in 914AD. The mayor of Petrich did not respond which means, under Bulgarian law, that the event was not prohibited.

While the activists were travelling towards Samuel�s fortress, uniformed police officers stopped them at the village of Strumeshnitsa and forced the people to retreat. The activists and other Macedonians went back to Petrich and tried to place flowers at the monument of Anton Panov, who along with Nikola Vaptsarov was executed by the Bulgarian police in 1942. Uniformed police officers again tried to prevent them from reaching the monument but a few people succeeded in placing flowers at the foot of the monument. Afterwards, the activists and supporters went to OMO Ilinden�s office and continued the ceremony with speeches and music.

While the activists were approaching the fortress, gathering at the monument in Petrich, and conducting the ceremony at the office, plainclothes police officers used video cameras to identify and intimidate the activists and their supporters.

Conclusion:

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is preparing to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities� human rights and put an end to its state-endorsed acts of oppression.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel: 416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mhrmi.org

Presented by:

George Papadakis
Rainbow � Organization of the Macedonian Minority in Greece
Address: Stephanou Dragoumi 11, P.O. Box 51, 53100 Florina, Greece
Tel/Fax: ++ 23850 46548
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.florina.org

For more information, please contact the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada or the following organizations of Macedonians in Bulgaria:

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:41 PM

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
6 October – 17 October 2005, Warsaw

Topic: National Minorities – October 15, 2003

The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria
Report by the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada (MHRMC)

Table of Contents

Introduction
Freedom of Expression and the Media
Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly
Conclusion
Contact Information for Macedonian Activists in Bulgaria

Introduction

The Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Whether it be through outright discrimination, the uneven application of laws which on their surface do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly identify as Macedonians repeatedly suffer abuses of their human rights.

One positive development occurred in 2001 with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Boris Stankov and the United Macedonian Organization (OMO Ilinden) vs. Bulgaria on Oct.2, 2001. ECHR ruled that there had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. OMO Ilinden was founded in 1990 to unite Macedonians in Bulgaria on a regional and cultural basis and to achieve recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 1991 the association was refused registration as the courts ruled that its aims were directed against the unity of the nation, that it advocated ethnic hatred and was dangerous for the territorial integrity of Bulgaria. (ECHR Press Release – Oct.2, 2001)

It was hoped that the ruling in favour of OMO Ilinden would pave the way for immediate registration of the organization and a positive effect on human rights developments in Bulgaria in the future. However, OMO Ilinden has still not been registered. The two Macedonian political parties, OMO Pirin and OMO Ilinden PIRIN (the latter was de-registered in 2000 and has initiated a European Court case against Bulgaria), and Sonce, the organization of Islamic Macedonians, have also not been registered. Despite the European Court’s ruling, it is apparent that the Bulgarian government has no intention of registering any Macedonian organization.

The Bulgarian government still refuses to grant its sizeable Macedonian minority the human rights that are protected by international treaties to which Bulgaria is a signatory. In what seemed to be a positive step, Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saksoburgotski stated on April 8, 2003:

“Bulgaria acknowledges the minorities in the country. In 2001 a few thousand citizens declared themselves as Bulgarians with Macedonian origin, and three thousand citizens stated that the Macedonian language is their mother language. These numbers show the fact that we have a very good understanding of that issue"

However, several instances of tampering by Bulgarian authorities occurred during the last census. These will be outlined later in this report. The claims of only a few thousand Macedonians is well below the estimates by Macedonian human rights activists which place the number from several hundred thousand to over one million. Furthermore, Macedonians did not declare themselves as “Bulgarians with Macedonian origin”, but simply as ethnic Macedonians.

Despite Mr. Saksoburgotski’s claim that the Bulgarian government has a “good understanding” of the Macedonian minority issue, human rights violations against Macedonians were prevalent.

As regards freedom of expression and the media, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly, the Macedonian minority has recently suffered the following human rights violations at the hands of Bulgarian authorities.

Freedom of Expression and the Media

Blagoevgrad – September 12, 2002

On Thursday, September 12 at approximately 3:00pm, OMO Ilinden intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). About 45 members and sympathizers gathered in front of the US University in Blagoevgrad and marched to the Gotse Delchev monument in Macedonia Square. They intended to place flowers, a wreath, and a banner that contained the text “OMO Ilinden – Stop the Assimilation: We want Macedonian language and culture, human rights, and the right to work!”

Upon reaching the monument, about 25 civilians (all members of the Bulgarian nationalistic political party VMRO) attacked the OMO Ilinden members and beat several of them with sticks. They demanded that OMO Ilinden give up the banner, wreath and two Macedonian flags. The VMRO members took the banner and one flag before the local police, which were already present, separated the two groups.

OMO Ilinden were successful in placing the wreath and flowers at the back of the monument (VMRO members were blocking the front) and Jordan Konstantinov, past-president of OMO Ilinden, gave a speech. At the end of the ceremony, VMRO members again assaulted the Macedonians and the police eventually stopped them.

The next day, the Bulgarian newspaper, Trud, slandered the Macedonian activists claiming that they attacked the VMRO members. They also claimed that the OMO Ilinden members were “drunk” and that they “cursed Bulgaria, VMRO and the journalists that were present during the ceremony.”

As reported by the BBC, a roundtable was held after September 12 because, according to Bulgarian authorities, “The illegal organization OMO Ilinden held an anti-Bulgarian event in Blagoevgrad”. Bulgarian parliamentarians from Blagoevgrad, as well as representatives of political parties, the state and local institutions demanded the passing of a law for the fight against anti-Bulgarian activity in that region, and in the territory of the country as a whole.

According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the ceremony of September 12 brought about social protests and tension and was condemned by all political parties. The following quotations were made by Bulgarian members of parliament:
Stanimir Ilchev – MP of the National Movement Simeon II – “Bulgaria should go to the European court to prevent events like Sept. 12.”
Rositsa Totkova – MP United Democratic Forces – gathering of OMO Ilinden was “without the respect of the feelings of others and an open threatening act”
Aleksandar Abadjiev – MP Left Coalition of Bulgaria – “It’s paramount to prepare the mayors and representatives of local administration how to react to these types of events according to the law and constitution.”
Census – March 2001

Other than the Turkish and Roma minority groups, the 2001 census in Bulgaria did not provide other minorities the opportunity to declare their ethnic identity. The state refuses to recognize its sizeable Macedonian minority and uses the census to promote its official stance that this group is ethnically Bulgarian. Various radio and TV stations promoted the notion that Bulgaria is largely a homogenous country and that people should identify themselves as Bulgarian. OMO Ilinden PIRIN was unable to counter this view because their access to the media was denied on several occasions. Instead, they printed roughly 80,000 flyers that were distributed throughout the region of Pirin Macedonia stating that the people have every right to declare themselves as ethnic Macedonians and should not fear persecution. Several Bulgarian lawyers were consulted and even though they said that the flyers were legal, the police and Bulgarian media started a campaign to frighten the population by claiming that the leaders of OMO Ilinden PIRIN would be charged and jailed. The following people were called in to the local police station and questioned, intimidated and had charges laid against them: Ivan Singartiski, Ivan Gargavelov, Kostadin Frangov, Krsto Mangusev, Petar Ivanov, Slave Milkov, Angel Radonov, Vladimir Kocarov and others. The Bulgarian police claimed that they were being charged because it was against Bulgarian law to distribute flyers “anonymously”. However, the flyers clearly displayed that they were written and distributed by OMO Ilinden PIRIN.

Rozhen Monastery – April 2001

On April 22, 2001, members and supporters of OMO Ilinden gathered at the Rozhen Monastery in the city of Sandanski to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Macedonian hero Yane Sandanski. The next day several newspapers (“Trud”, “24 Chasa” and others) published slanderous articles misinforming the public about the events of the gathering. They claimed that members of the group were shouting “Death to Bulgarians” and “We want to see all Bulgarians dead”. (Trud, April 23) They urged authorities to take action against members of the organization. They also claim that members of OMO Ilinden are “scoundrels with limited intellect”. (Trud, April 23)

Several instances of freedom of association violations occurred during this gathering (more information in the section titled Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly)

Macedonian Newspaper - Narodna Volya

The only Macedonian newspaper in Bulgaria, Narodna Volya, is published in Blagoevgrad, in both the Bulgarian and Macedonian languages. No newspapers were confiscated in 2001 by the Bulgarian authorities (as had occurred in previous years), however, no subscribers in the Republic of Macedonia had received their copies since August 2001. The Editor-in-Chief, Georgi Hristov, suspected that the problem lay with the Bulgarian postal system so he brought some newspapers across the border into the city of Delchevo, the Republic of Macedonia in January 2002 and mailed them from there. All subscribers received their newspapers within days. Mr. Hristov subsequently filed complaints with the post office and police in Blagoevgrad but has yet to receive a response.

Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly

Sandanski – April 2003

On April 21, 2003, members of several Macedonian organizations in Bulgaria mutually commemorated the anniversary of the murder of Macedonian revolutionary Jane Sandanski. In a welcome change, the police did not interfere but there were reports that the event was videotaped by the police in an attempt to intimidate the participants as they had done in the past.

Petrich – July 2002

On Saturday, July 27, 2002 OMO Ilinden members and supporters gathered at King Samuel’s fortress near the town of Petrich in order to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising (Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903).

Approximately 1,500 people attended the ceremony, which included speeches and Macedonian music and dances. While the ceremony was taking place, plainclothes police officers videotaped the OMO Ilinden members and supporters in an effort to intimidate them.

The following day, journalists with pictures of the event visited the individual participants and asked them why they would attend “such an anti-Bulgarian event.”

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is hoping to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to such violations.

Macedonian Theatre Group’s Visit to Bulgaria – April 2002

The following is a quote by Tihomir Stojanovski, Art Director of the Macedonian theatre group “Skrb I Uteha” at the Third Macedonian World Human Rights Conference on September 20, 2003.

“Our second visit to Bulgaria happened in April 2002, and at that time we felt that the resistance towards the Macedonian culture was still present. The Macedonians in the village of Koprivgan were intimidated and we played in front of an empty hall. In the village of Elesnica, the head of the village locked the hall and ran away. In the village of Razlog people waited for us in order to beat us?! We played in villages where the Macedonians were not afraid to take us: the villages of Kremen, Mosomishte, Leski and Sandanski. On our way back to Macedonia, we were held up at the border crossing of Novo Selo/Strumica for seven hours, we were treated like criminals; two journalists and our manager were questioned in the classic Bulgarian police fashion. Our manager was told: “you could have come back with holes in yours heads” and “we let you in once, what are you looking for in Bulgaria for the second time?”

Blagoevgrad – February 2, 2001

Members and supporters of OMO Ilinden PIRIN were prevented from reaching Gotse Delchev’s monument in the city of Blagoevgrad, in order to place flowers in honour of the Macedonian revolutionary’s birthday. The monument was surrounded by armed and civilian police officers who threatened and intimidated the crowd. The police claimed that they had a decree from the Public Prosecutor of Blagoevgrad that was aimed at stopping members of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from approaching the monument. The leadership of the party, in accordance with the Law on Public Information, requested a written statement from the Public Prosecutor explaining the events of Feb.2. A response is yet to be received.

Sandanski – April 22, 2001

Every year, OMO Ilinden members and supporters commemorate the anniversary of Yane Sandanski’s death at his grave near the Rozhen Monastery. On April 4, they submitted a notice to the mayor of Sandanski requesting permission to hold this gathering on April 22 at 10:30am, as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations. The notice also indicated several events scheduled to take place, namely: mourning rites and placing flowers on the grave; reading two essays about Yane Sandanski; and Macedonian music and dances.

The party did not receive an answer which, according to the law, means that the celebration was not prohibited. On April 22, several violations of the citizen’s rights of peaceful assembly occurred:

Two Orthodox priests, Father Liuben Katsarski and Father Atanas Petrov, were invited to assist in the mourning rites at the grave of Yane Sandanski at 11:00am. They were, however, prohibited from doing this by the Archimandrite Jovan, the Father Superior of the Rozhen Monastery who in the past had hindered a number of events held by Macedonians at the monastery. The prohibition of the mourning rites took place in front of the police, including the Chief of Police in Sandanski, and the Archimandrite actually threatened the two priests with violence. The police did not interfere, which suggests that the conflict was coordinated in advance. After the priests had left, the several hundred citizens that had gathered were able to approach the grave, lay flowers and light candles.

Two members of OMO Ilinden, Liliana Kirianova and Angel Trenev, attempted to lay a wreath on the grave that contained a band with the word “Ilinden.” Four policemen surrounded them and demanded that the band be removed. The two activists refused so the police forcefully removed it. Angel Trenev was then arrested and brought to the nearby village of Rozhen (1 km from the grave). He was later released and warned that he would be fined 500 leva (US$240) if he returned to the ceremony.
Two Bulgarian flags had been placed at the grave before the arrival of the participants. The OMO Ilinden members were warned that they would be punished if they placed flowers on the flags so they had to place the flowers around the grave. Placing flags on graves is not a custom in Bulgaria and no parties or organizations do this in ceremonies of a similar nature. Furthermore, the fact that Bulgarian flags were placed at the grave of Yane Sandanski seems to be an act of deliberate provocation on the part of Bulgarian authorities, who are no doubt conscious that, in the view of most ethnic Macedonians, Sandanski was killed by Bulgarian terrorists who acted on an order of the government in 1915.
A portrait of Yane Sandanski was to be placed on the podium along with a poster with an inscription of one of his sayings: “The slave fights for liberation and the liberated fights for improvement”. This poster, along with several other objects, were removed by a plainclothes police officer while on the grounds.
In their attempts to inconvenience the more than 600 participants, the police cut off the electrical supply, did not allow OMO Ilinden to use their loudspeakers, refused to allow the musicians to play, cut off the water supply to the fountain near Yane Sandanski’s grave, and they prohibited anyone from selling food or drinks. Consequently, OMO Ilinden sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg regarding the above restrictions and the state-instigated press propaganda the following day (see Freedom of Expression and the Media: April 2001 - Rozhen Monastery). The ECHR has acknowledged receipt of the complaint.
The presence of more than 50 police officers near the grave imposed psychological pressure on the participants. According to observers, the situation resembled a military operation against citizens who simply came to commemorate a Macedonian hero.
Blagoevgrad - May 4, 2001

On this date every year, OMO Ilinden commemorates the anniversary of the killing of the Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev in front of his monument in Blagoevgrad. On April 27, OMO Ilinden member Atanas Urdev sent a notice to the mayor of the municipality (as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations) notifying him of the planned event. No reply was received which indicates, by law, that the event was not prohibited.

On May 4, at 5:00pm, a group of OMO Ilinden members brought a wreath and flowers to the monument of Gotse Delchev on Macedonia Square in Blagoevgrad. The wreath had a band with an inscription “98 years since the killing of Gotse Delchev – OMO Ilinden” Eight police officers stopped the group about ten metres from the monument and ordered them to remove the band. The police claimed that the District Prosecutor, Snezhana Katsarska, had given them orders to do this but failed to produce a warrant when asked. Furthermore, the activists said that they would not continue with the commemoration if it indeed was prohibited but they wanted to see the warrant (which was never produced). At this point 7-8 people who claimed to be ordinary civilians approached (all of whom were known to local members of OMO Ilinden as law enforcement officers). Among them was the Chief of the Regional Security Service in Blagoevgrad, Mr. Aliosha Kaptchin. OMO Ilinden decided to leave and they went in the direction of the church “St. Bogoroditsa” which is about 1km from Macedonia Square. The “civilians” followed them and tried to provoke an incident by insulting them. Two of them jumped on Mr. Kiril Tilev and tried to take his camera under the pretense that he took pictures of the police officers.

The OMO Ilinden members decided to hold their commemoration in the churchyard of “St. Bogoroditsa”, where there is a monument of several members of Gotse Delchev’s family. They read a short essay and laid the wreath and flowers there. The plainclothes police officers were waiting for them outside the church door and followed them after they left, again provoking and threatening them with the use of physical force. One of the members was told that he would be beaten up again as many of the OMO Ilinden members were at the Rozhen Monastery in 1992. The OMO Ilinden members asked two people to monitor whether the flowers and wreath would remain at the church. The next day they were told that three people took the flowers and wreath and confiscated them.

Macedonian/Bulgarian border – May 4, 2001

About 70 members and sympathizers of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from the Gotse Delchev and Razlog areas went to Skopje, the Republic of Macedonia to place flowers at the grave of Gotse Delchev in the church grounds of “St. Spas”. At the Zlatarevo border crossing on the way back, the Bulgarian authorities detained their buses for four hours. During that time, the members were intimidated and harassed by the police sent from Blagoevgrad under the leadership of the Chief of Police, Mr. Kaptchin. Only after the leaders of the group threatened that they would return to the Republic of Macedonia and publicize the incident were they allowed entry into Bulgaria.

The same day at 5:00pm, OMO Ilinden PIRIN had announced a flower laying ceremony to be held at Gotse Delchev’s monument in the city of Gotse Delchev. The police were guarding the monument the whole day so that the Macedonians could not honour the revolutionary. The Chief of Police, Mr. Kalinkov, claimed that he had a decree from the Public Prosecutor banning them from the monument. The leadership of the party, following the Law on Public Information, requested a copy of the decree from the Public Prosecutor. Nothing was ever received.

Petrich - July 29, 2001

OMO Ilinden applied for permission from the city of Petrich to celebrate the Ilinden uprising of August 2, 1903 and to commemorate the blinding of King Samuel’s 14,000 Macedonian soldiers by the Byzantine King Vasilious II in 914AD. The mayor of Petrich did not respond which means, under Bulgarian law, that the event was not prohibited.

While the activists were travelling towards Samuel’s fortress, uniformed police officers stopped them at the village of Strumeshnitsa and forced the people to retreat. The activists and other Macedonians went back to Petrich and tried to place flowers at the monument of Anton Panov, who along with Nikola Vaptsarov was executed by the Bulgarian police in 1942. Uniformed police officers again tried to prevent them from reaching the monument but a few people succeeded in placing flowers at the foot of the monument. Afterwards, the activists and supporters went to OMO Ilinden’s office and continued the ceremony with speeches and music.

While the activists were approaching the fortress, gathering at the monument in Petrich, and conducting the ceremony at the office, plainclothes police officers used video cameras to identify and intimidate the activists and their supporters.

Blagoevgrad - September 12, 2001

This date signifies Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria) when Vancho Mihailov’s pro-Bulgarian VMRO killed over 380 Macedonian patriots in 1924. OMO Ilinden activists and supporters placed flowers at Gotse Delchev’s monument in Blagoevgrad to commemorate the dead Macedonian patriots. Although the police did not interfere in the event, plainclothes police officers again used video cameras to identify and intimidate the activists and their supporters.

Conclusion

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is preparing to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to its state-endorsed acts of oppression.

Written by:
Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel: 416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mhrmi.org

Presented by:
Ireneusz Slupkowski
Member, Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada
Vice-President, Association of Macedonians in Poland
Address: ul. Odziezowa 15/15 71-502 Szczecin, Poland
Tel: +48-609-321-560
Email: [email protected]

Contact Information for Macedonian Activists in Bulgaria

For more information, please contact Macedonian Human Rights Movement International or the following organizations of Macedonians in Bulgaria:

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:44 PM

you should be ashamed of yourselves razer

United Nations 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights
15 March – 23 April 2004, Geneva

The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria
Report by the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada (MHRMC)

Introduction

The Bulgarian government has and continues to place unlawful restrictions on a number of fundamental rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Whether it be through outright discrimination, the uneven application of laws which on their surface do not seem to discriminate against the Macedonian minority, or through unlawful conduct of officials, the effect is the same: Macedonians in Bulgaria who choose to openly identify as Macedonians repeatedly suffer abuses of their human rights.

One positive development occurred in 2001 with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Boris Stankov and the United Macedonian Organization (OMO Ilinden) vs. Bulgaria on Oct.2, 2001. ECHR ruled that there had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. OMO Ilinden was founded in 1990 to unite Macedonians in Bulgaria on a regional and cultural basis and to achieve recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 1991 the association was refused registration as the courts ruled that its aims were directed against the unity of the nation, that it advocated ethnic hatred and was dangerous for the territorial integrity of Bulgaria. (ECHR Press Release – Oct.2, 2001)

It was hoped that the ruling in favour of OMO Ilinden would pave the way for immediate registration of the organization and a positive effect on human rights developments in Bulgaria in the future. However, OMO Ilinden has still not been registered. The two Macedonian political parties, OMO Pirin and OMO Ilinden PIRIN (the latter was de-registered in 2000 and has initiated a European Court case against Bulgaria), and Sonce, the organization of Islamic Macedonians, have also not been registered. Following are some of the outrageous reasons used by the Sofia court to refuse OMO Pirin’s application for registration on 12 December 2002:

1. The name PIRIN may be confused with the mountain by the same name
2. The Macedonian sun on OMO Pirin’s flag is the same as the flag of the Republic of Macedonia (this despite the fact that the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag in 1995)
3. The organization wants to change the ethnic consciousness of the Bulgarian population by making them Macedonians
4. The Constitution of OMO Pirin did not cover all aspects of the organizational structure of the organization such as elections, delegates, etc. (in fact, the Constitution was written by a lawyer)

Despite the European Court’s ruling, it is apparent that the Bulgarian government has no intention of registering any Macedonian organization.

The Bulgarian government still refuses to grant its sizeable Macedonian minority the human rights that are protected by international treaties to which Bulgaria is a signatory. In what seemed to be a positive step, Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saksoburgotski stated on April 8, 2003:

“Bulgaria acknowledges the minorities in the country. In 2001 a few thousand citizens declared themselves as Bulgarians with Macedonian origin, and three thousand citizens stated that the Macedonian language is their mother language. These numbers show the fact that we have a very good understanding of that issue."

However, several instances of tampering by Bulgarian authorities occurred during the last census. These will be outlined later in this report. The claims of only a few thousand Macedonians is well below the estimates by Macedonian human rights activists which place the number from several hundred thousand to over one million. Furthermore, Macedonians did not declare themselves as “Bulgarians with Macedonian origin”, but simply as ethnic Macedonians.

Despite Mr. Saksoburgotski’s claim that the Bulgarian government has a “good understanding” of the Macedonian minority issue, human rights violations against Macedonians were prevalent.

As regards freedom of expression and the media, and freedom of association and peaceful assembly, the Macedonian minority has recently suffered the following human rights violations at the hands of Bulgarian authorities.

Freedom of Expression and the Media:

Blagoevgrad - Vartolomey Night

On Sunday, September 12, 2004, OMO Pirin intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). They had informed the local authorities that the event would take place at the Gotse Dlechev monument in the centre of the city of Blagoevgrad.

Approximately 80 members arrived at the Gotse Delchev monument intending to lay wreaths and flowers but they were surrounded by members of the Bulgarian nationalistic party VMRO and were prevented from reaching the monument. The Bulgarian police, who were present during the incident, refused to intervene. Similar incidents, sometimes with more severe consequences, occur every time a Macedonian organization intends to hold an event in Bulgaria. The following is another example:

On Thursday, September 12, 2002 at approximately 3:00pm, OMO Ilinden intended to commemorate Vartolomey Night (massacre of Macedonians in Bulgaria in 1924). About 45 members and sympathizers gathered in front of the US University in Blagoevgrad and marched to the Gotse Delchev monument in Macedonia Square. They intended to place flowers, a wreath, and a banner that contained the text “OMO Ilinden – Stop the Assimilation: We want Macedonian language and culture, human rights, and the right to work!”

Upon reaching the monument, about 25 civilians (all members of the Bulgarian nationalistic political party VMRO) attacked the OMO Ilinden members and beat several of them with sticks. They demanded that OMO Ilinden give up the banner, wreath and two Macedonian flags. The VMRO members took the banner and one flag before the local police, which were already present, separated the two groups.

OMO Ilinden were successful in placing the wreath and flowers at the back of the monument (VMRO members were blocking the front) and Jordan Konstantinov, past-president of OMO Ilinden, gave a speech. At the end of the ceremony, VMRO members again assaulted the Macedonians and the police eventually stopped them.

The next day, the Bulgarian newspaper, Trud, slandered the Macedonian activists claiming that they attacked the VMRO members. They also claimed that the OMO Ilinden members were “drunk” and that they “cursed Bulgaria, VMRO and the journalists that were present during the ceremony.”

As reported by the BBC, a roundtable was held after September 12 because, according to Bulgarian authorities, “The illegal organization OMO Ilinden held an anti-Bulgarian event in Blagoevgrad”. Bulgarian parliamentarians from Blagoevgrad, as well as representatives of political parties, the state and local institutions demanded the passing of a law for the fight against anti-Bulgarian activity in that region, and in the territory of the country as a whole.

According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the ceremony of September 12 brought about social protests and tension and was condemned by all political parties. The following quotations were made by Bulgarian members of parliament:

� Stanimir Ilchev – MP of the National Movement Simeon II – “Bulgaria should go to the European court to prevent events like Sept. 12.”
� Rositsa Totkova – MP United Democratic Forces – gathering of OMO Ilinden was “without the respect of the feelings of others and an open threatening act”
� Aleksandar Abadjiev – MP Left Coalition of Bulgaria – “It’s paramount to prepare the mayors and representatives of local administration how to react to these types of events according to the law and constitution.”

Census

Other than the Turkish and Roma minority groups, the 2001 census in Bulgaria did not provide other minorities the opportunity to declare their ethnic identity. The state refuses to recognize its sizeable Macedonian minority and uses the census to promote its official stance that this group is ethnically Bulgarian. Various radio and TV stations promoted the notion that Bulgaria is largely a homogenous country and that people should identify themselves as Bulgarian. OMO Ilinden PIRIN was unable to counter this view because their access to the media was denied on several occasions. Instead, they printed roughly 80,000 flyers that were distributed throughout the region of Pirin Macedonia stating that the people have every right to declare themselves as ethnic Macedonians and should not fear persecution. Several Bulgarian lawyers were consulted and even though they said that the flyers were legal, the police and Bulgarian media started a campaign to frighten the population by claiming that the leaders of OMO Ilinden PIRIN would be charged and jailed. The following people were called in to the local police station and questioned, intimidated and had charges laid against them: Ivan Singartiski, Ivan Gargavelov, Kostadin Frangov, Krsto Mangusev, Petar Ivanov, Slave Milkov, Angel Radonov, Vladimir Kocarov and others. The Bulgarian police claimed that they were being charged because it was against Bulgarian law to distribute flyers “anonymously”. However, the flyers clearly displayed that they were written and distributed by OMO Ilinden PIRIN.

Rozhen Monastery

On April 22, 2001, members and supporters of OMO Ilinden gathered at the Rozhen Monastery in the city of Sandanski to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Macedonian hero Yane Sandanski. The next day several newspapers (“Trud”, “24 Chasa” and others) published slanderous articles misinforming the public about the events of the gathering. They claimed that members of the group were shouting “Death to Bulgarians” and “We want to see all Bulgarians dead”. (Trud, April 23) They urged authorities to take action against members of the organization. They also claim that members of OMO Ilinden are “scoundrels with limited intellect”. (Trud, April 23)

Several instances of freedom of association violations occurred during this gathering (more information in the section titled Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly)

Macedonian Newspaper - Narodna Volya

The only Macedonian newspaper in Bulgaria, Narodna Volya, is published in Blagoevgrad, in both the Bulgarian and Macedonian languages. No newspapers were confiscated in 2001 by the Bulgarian authorities (as had occurred in previous years), however, no subscribers in the Republic of Macedonia had received their copies since August 2001. The Editor-in-Chief, Georgi Hristov, suspected that the problem lay with the Bulgarian postal system so he brought some newspapers across the border into the city of Delchevo, the Republic of Macedonia in January 2002 and mailed them from there. All subscribers received their newspapers within days. Mr. Hristov subsequently filed complaints with the post office and police in Blagoevgrad but has yet to receive a response.

Freedom of Association and the Right of Peaceful Assembly:

Sandanski – April 2003

On April 21, 2003, members of several Macedonian organizations in Bulgaria mutually commemorated the anniversary of the murder of Macedonian revolutionary Jane Sandanski. In a welcome change, the police did not interfere but there were reports that the event was videotaped by the police in an attempt to intimidate the participants as they had done in the past.

Petrich – July 2002

On Saturday, July 27, 2002 OMO Ilinden members and supporters gathered at King Samuel’s fortress near the town of Petrich in order to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising (Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903).

Approximately 1,500 people attended the ceremony, which included speeches and Macedonian music and dances. While the ceremony was taking place, plainclothes police officers videotaped the OMO Ilinden members and supporters in an effort to intimidate them. The following day, journalists with pictures of the event visited the individual participants and asked them why they would attend “such an anti-Bulgarian event.”

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is hoping to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to such violations.

Macedonian Theatre Group’s Visit to Bulgaria

The following is a quote by Tihomir Stojanovski, Art Director of the Macedonian theatre group “Skrb I Uteha” at the Third Macedonian World Human Rights Conference on September 20, 2003.

“Our second visit to Bulgaria happened in April 2002, and at that time we felt that the resistance towards the Macedonian culture was still present. The Macedonians in the village of Koprivgan were intimidated and we played in front of an empty hall. In the village of Elesnica, the head of the village locked the hall and ran away. In the village of Razlog people waited for us in order to beat us?! We played in villages where the Macedonians were not afraid to take us: the villages of Kremen, Mosomishte, Leski and Sandanski. On our way back to Macedonia, we were held up at the border crossing of Novo Selo/Strumica for seven hours, we were treated like criminals; two journalists and our manager were questioned in the classic Bulgarian police fashion. Our manager was told: “you could have come back with holes in yours heads” and “we let you in once, what are you looking for in Bulgaria for the second time?”

Blagoevgrad – Gotse Delchev Commemoration

Members and supporters of OMO Ilinden PIRIN were prevented from reaching Gotse Delchev’s monument in the city of Blagoevgrad, in order to place flowers in honour of the Macedonian revolutionary’s birthday. The monument was surrounded by armed and civilian police officers who threatened and intimidated the crowd. The police claimed that they had a decree from the Public Prosecutor of Blagoevgrad that was aimed at stopping members of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from approaching the monument. The leadership of the party, in accordance with the Law on Public Information, requested a written statement from the Public Prosecutor explaining the events of Feb.2. A response is yet to be received.

Yane Sandanski Commemoration

Every year, OMO Ilinden members and supporters commemorate the anniversary of Yane Sandanski’s death at his grave near the Rozhen Monastery. On April 4, they submitted a notice to the mayor of Sandanski requesting permission to hold this gathering on April 22, 2001 at 10:30am, as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations. The notice also indicated several events scheduled to take place, namely: mourning rites and placing flowers on the grave; reading two essays about Yane Sandanski; and Macedonian music and dances.

The party did not receive an answer which, according to the law, means that the celebration was not prohibited. On April 22, several violations of the citizen’s rights of peaceful assembly occurred:

� Two Orthodox priests, Father Liuben Katsarski and Father Atanas Petrov, were invited to assist in the mourning rites at the grave of Yane Sandanski at 11:00am. They were, however, prohibited from doing this by the Archimandrite Jovan, the Father Superior of the Rozhen Monastery who in the past had hindered a number of events held by Macedonians at the monastery. The prohibition of the mourning rites took place in front of the police, including the Chief of Police in Sandanski, and the Archimandrite actually threatened the two priests with violence. The police did not interfere, which suggests that the conflict was coordinated in advance. After the priests had left, the several hundred citizens that had gathered were able to approach the grave, lay flowers and light candles.

� Two members of OMO Ilinden, Liliana Kirianova and Angel Trenev, attempted to lay a wreath on the grave that contained a band with the word “Ilinden.” Four policemen surrounded them and demanded that the band be removed. The two activists refused so the police forcefully removed it. Angel Trenev was then arrested and brought to the nearby village of Rozhen (1 km from the grave). He was later released and warned that he would be fined 500 leva (US$240) if he returned to the ceremony.

� Two Bulgarian flags had been placed at the grave before the arrival of the participants. The OMO Ilinden members were warned that they would be punished if they placed flowers on the flags so they had to place the flowers around the grave. Placing flags on graves is not a custom in Bulgaria and no parties or organizations do this in ceremonies of a similar nature. Furthermore, the fact that Bulgarian flags were placed at the grave of Yane Sandanski seems to be an act of deliberate provocation on the part of Bulgarian authorities, who are no doubt conscious that, in the view of most ethnic Macedonians, Sandanski was killed by Bulgarian terrorists who acted on an order of the government in 1915.

� A portrait of Yane Sandanski was to be placed on the podium along with a poster with an inscription of one of his sayings: “The slave fights for liberation and the liberated fights for improvement”. This poster, along with several other objects, were removed by a plainclothes police officer while on the grounds.

� In their attempts to inconvenience the more than 600 participants, the police cut off the electrical supply, did not allow OMO Ilinden to use their loudspeakers, refused to allow the musicians to play, cut off the water supply to the fountain near Yane Sandanski’s grave, and they prohibited anyone from selling food or drinks. Consequently, OMO Ilinden sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg regarding the above restrictions and the state-instigated press propaganda the following day (see Freedom of Expression and the Media: April 2001 - Rozhen Monastery). The ECHR has acknowledged receipt of the complaint.

� The presence of more than 50 police officers near the grave imposed psychological pressure on the participants. According to observers, the situation resembled a military operation against citizens who simply came to commemorate a Macedonian hero.

Blagoevgrad

On this date every year, OMO Ilinden commemorates the anniversary of the killing of the Macedonian hero Gotse Delchev in front of his monument in Blagoevgrad. On April 27, 2001 OMO Ilinden member Atanas Urdev sent a notice to the mayor of the municipality (as required by the Law on Meetings and Manifestations) notifying him of the planned event. No reply was received which indicates, by law, that the event was not prohibited.

On May 4, at 5:00pm, a group of OMO Ilinden members brought a wreath and flowers to the monument of Gotse Delchev on Macedonia Square in Blagoevgrad. The wreath had a band with an inscription “98 years since the killing of Gotse Delchev – OMO Ilinden” Eight police officers stopped the group about ten metres from the monument and ordered them to remove the band. The police claimed that the District Prosecutor, Snezhana Katsarska, had given them orders to do this but failed to produce a warrant when asked. Furthermore, the activists said that they would not continue with the commemoration if it indeed was prohibited but they wanted to see the warrant (which was never produced). At this point 7-8 people who claimed to be ordinary civilians approached (all of whom were known to local members of OMO Ilinden as law enforcement officers). Among them was the Chief of the Regional Security Service in Blagoevgrad, Mr. Aliosha Kaptchin. OMO Ilinden decided to leave and they went in the direction of the church “St. Bogoroditsa” which is about 1km from Macedonia Square. The “civilians” followed them and tried to provoke an incident by insulting them. Two of them jumped on Mr. Kiril Tilev and tried to take his camera under the pretense that he took pictures of the police officers.

The OMO Ilinden members decided to hold their commemoration in the churchyard of “St. Bogoroditsa”, where there is a monument of several members of Gotse Delchev’s family. They read a short essay and laid the wreath and flowers there. The plainclothes police officers were waiting for them outside the church door and followed them after they left, again provoking and threatening them with the use of physical force. One of the members was told that he would be beaten up again as many of the OMO Ilinden members were at the Rozhen Monastery in 1992. The OMO Ilinden members asked two people to monitor whether the flowers and wreath would remain at the church. The next day they were told that three people took the flowers and wreath and confiscated them.

Macedonian/Bulgarian border

On May 4, 2001, about 70 members and sympathizers of OMO Ilinden PIRIN from the Gotse Delchev and Razlog areas went to Skopje, the Republic of Macedonia to place flowers at the grave of Gotse Delchev in the church grounds of “St. Spas”. At the Zlatarevo border crossing on the way back, the Bulgarian authorities detained their buses for four hours. During that time, the members were intimidated and harassed by the police sent from Blagoevgrad under the leadership of the Chief of Police, Mr. Kaptchin. Only after the leaders of the group threatened that they would return to the Republic of Macedonia and publicize the incident were they allowed entry into Bulgaria.

The same day at 5:00pm, OMO Ilinden PIRIN had announced a flower laying ceremony to be held at Gotse Delchev’s monument in the city of Gotse Delchev. The police were guarding the monument the whole day so that the Macedonians could not honour the revolutionary. The Chief of Police, Mr. Kalinkov, claimed that he had a decree from the Public Prosecutor banning them from the monument. The leadership of the party, following the Law on Public Information, requested a copy of the decree from the Public Prosecutor. Nothing was ever received.

Petrich

On July 29, 2001, OMO Ilinden applied for permission from the city of Petrich to celebrate the Ilinden uprising of August 2, 1903 and to commemorate the blinding of King Samuel’s 14,000 Macedonian soldiers by the Byzantine King Vasilious II in 914AD. The mayor of Petrich did not respond which means, under Bulgarian law, that the event was not prohibited.

While the activists were travelling towards Samuel’s fortress, uniformed police officers stopped them at the village of Strumeshnitsa and forced the people to retreat. The activists and other Macedonians went back to Petrich and tried to place flowers at the monument of Anton Panov, who along with Nikola Vaptsarov was executed by the Bulgarian police in 1942. Uniformed police officers again tried to prevent them from reaching the monument but a few people succeeded in placing flowers at the foot of the monument. Afterwards, the activists and supporters went to OMO Ilinden’s office and continued the ceremony with speeches and music.

While the activists were approaching the fortress, gathering at the monument in Petrich, and conducting the ceremony at the office, plainclothes police officers used video cameras to identify and intimidate the activists and their supporters.

Conclusion:

Macedonians in Bulgaria continuously face discrimination and intimidation when asserting their ethnic Macedonian identity. As a country that is preparing to enter the European Union, Bulgaria must respect its minorities’ human rights and put an end to its state-endorsed acts of oppression.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
Address: 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434, Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7
Tel: 416-850-7125 Fax: 416-850-7127
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mhrmi.org

**George S.** · 07-08-2012, 11:47 PM

OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
October 2 – October 13 2006, Warsaw

Working Session 10: Democratic institutions and free elections

October 9, 2006

Читај ја оваа страница на македонски

Statement made by Mr. Zoran Todorov, member of the Delegation of the Republic of Macedonia -
in exercising the right of Reply

Mr. Moderator,

Allow me, on behalf of the Delegation of the Republic of Macedonia, to refer to the statements just been made by the distinguished representatives of Greece and Bulgaria.

The answer to the question to belong (or not) to a national minority is not a sovereign right of the countries and saying that I refer to paragraph 32 of the Copenhagen Document: (I quote)

“To belong to a national minority is a matter of a person’s individual choice and no disadvantage may arise from the exercise of such choice”. (End of quotation).

Similar provision is foreseen in the Framework Convention on National Minorities of the Council of Europe.

The existence of a population which affiliates itself as Macedonian, in an ethnic sense, in these countries, is a fact recognized by several proficient, competent and widely accepted and known international forums and their bodies, holders of internationally accepted monitoring mechanisms. Let me list just two of them:

- The European Commission against racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe and
- The European Court of Human Rights,

Their findings, recommendations and judgments are obligatory for the members of the Council of Europe and should be respected by Greece and Bulgaria as recognized democratic countries, members of all main international organizations as well as actual (Greece), or future (Bulgaria) members of the European Union, whose standards in this respect should serve as an example for other countries.

Thank you Mr. Moderator.

Razer and Stefan - Bulgar morons

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment