The attacks against members and supporters of the only organised union of prisoners in Bulgaria – the Bulgarian Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Association (BPRA) – are not something new to us. They have been common since the very foundation of this organisation. Today, on the 6th years of BPRA’s existence, the repressions are intensifying.
Jock Palfreeman’s hunger strike Kalin Angelov for Terminal 3 The author of this article has been a professional lawyer with a practice in Sofia since 2003. In 2013 he started working for the Bulgarian Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Association. He considers Jock Palfreeman a friend. Having read the materials on Palfreeman’s trial for the murder of student Andrey Monov, he is convinced that the 20-year prison sentence is unjust. Mr Angelov’s account is presented objectively and impartially. If anyone of the persons…
The text (available only in Bulgarian) released by the FAB (Federation of the Anarchists in Bulgaria) on the webpage of their newspaper ‘Svobodna Misal’ (‘Free Thought’) written by Hristo Nikolov has some valid points. However the question arises ‘what the hell would FAB know about prisons in Bulgaria?’ Instead of the FAB showing solidarity towards prisoners and in this case with myself, the FAB has lead a campaign of lies against me for many years. The actions of the FAB…
The minister of justice announced public discussion in combating corruption in the justice system. This is the response of the Bulgarian Prisoners’ Association. Proposal From Bulgarian Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Association In connection with the ‘Public Discussion’ announced by the Minister of Justice Tsatcheva Amongst the topics for discussion are the following: Which organs (institutions) should battle corruption at the different levels of power? Should the local authorities join the law-enforcing authorities in their atni-corruption fight? What should be the correlation between…
The New York ABC some years ago made an international call out for an International Day of Solidarity with me – Jock Palfreeman, Antifa currently held captive by the Bulgarian state. Although I do not want people to forget that I continue to stay incarcerated for defending a Roma man being brutally beaten by 15 neo-nazis, this July 25th 2017 I request that as many people as possible can organize solidarity funds for our prisoners’ union here, the Bulgarian Prisoners’…
As soon as the temporary government was in place BSP started reclaiming the Bulgarian state bureaucracy. BSP worked through their puppet President Radev and the sewage leaked down throughout the entire state apparatus. The Minister of Justice appointed by Radev fired the Head Director – (Gergana Georgieva) of the national prison authority (ГДИН). The Minister of Justice then appointed the BSP cadre Svilen Svetanov as the Head Director and so the old team of BSP was being assembled. Soon after…
On the 7/2/2017 new laws governing the Bulgarian penitentiary system came into force as they were published in the government state newspaper. Although there is still a lot of work to do and no one sees the reforms as a silver bullet to the problems facing the Bulgarian prison system, the reforms are still massively progressive. The Bulgarian Prisoners’ Association is proud to boast that we partook in the drafting of the legislation and the public discussion periods with Valio…
Released on May Day 2016 by Autonomia Promotions “Folk Off” and “Punk to the MAX” benefit compilations will raise money for the Bulgarian Prisoners Association (BPRA), a collective of current prisoners and ex-prisoners working on the field for inmate’s rights through both legal representation and legislative change. “Folk Off” Benefit Compilation [bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3920643285 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small] “Folk Off” features 13 acoustic/folk punk artists such as Joe Yorke, Efa Supertramp, Cistem Failure, Moon Bandits, Dangle Manatee and many more, with songs about abolishing prisons,…
There is a so called “Refugee Hunter” called Dinko Valev who has become infamous within Bulgaria and the EU for assaulting and illegally detaining asylum seekers who he finds having entered Bulgaria from the Turkish border. There are also other far right groups who are copying the actions of the “Refugee Hunter” such as the organisation ‘Association for the Protection of Bulgarians’. Recently groups of far right and neo-nazi organizations have raised Valev to the status of a hero for…
We have been nominated for Human of the Year 2015 in the annual contest of Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. Here are the motives: Bulgarian Prisoners Rehabilitation Association (BPRA) directly defends the human rights of prisoners in Bulgaria. Though consequential work to reform the criminal justice system of Bulgaria, the human rights of all Bulgarian citizens are enhanced. The BPRA is uniquely a NGO for prisoners that seeks to reconcile the operation of Bulgarian prisons with international obligations to human rights for…