Bulgaria: Policy for civil order and safety - The case in Krasna Poliana District - Chronology of events

Romani Baht Foundation organized a broadly visited press conference. The topic was ‘Policy for civil order and safety – the case in Krasna Poliana District – chronology of events’.The main participants were: lawyer Dimitar Dimitrov, representatives of foundations – Uliana Metodieva – represantive of Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Dimitar Georgiev – represantive of Project Human Rights and victims of the violence from 12.08.2007 – Gosho Iankov Mihov, Raina Stefanova Iankova, Asia Stoianova Metodieva.

The press conference was attended by 10 TV channels and about 12 print and electronic editions.

On 12 – 13.08.2007 the panic grabbed about 35 000 people in Fakulteta.

The insecurity kept children, old people, pregnant women, fathers awake for two days and nights. Fakulteta was the most isolated place in the world. The neighbourhood was surrounded by police and gendarmerie without any obvious task – who were they guarding in the near neighbourhoods inhabited by Bulgarians or Roma from envasion of non – formal groups(skin heads, metal boys and other nationalistic groups). Within these 48 hours the authorities(Sofia Municipality, the government, the police) watched the situation from outside the neighbourhood and the national media created an impression of unreasonable riots of the ‘violating Roma people’ who rage and beat. Pitifully some leaders took advantage of the situation for the coming elections by not helping really but making their pre – election program and working.

16.08.2007 10.00 BTA:

Lawyer Dimitar Dimitrov: No one from the near pass – byers or from the local shops did something. The six Roma have been beaten by around 20 people with black shawls. And one of the beaten – Rumen Rumenov has been taken to Pirogov hospital and there he suffered three life – saving operations.

Uliana Metodieva – BHC: What happened on 13.08.2007 was not the worst that could have happened.

Dimitar Georgiev: The media did not present things in their whole and exact appearance and society needed objectivity. The Roma community were waiting for the police to provide some information for the process of the inquiry and the pressure would have been more easily overcome.

Representatives of Romani Baht Foundation, Ministry Council, police, National Council on Demographic and Ethnic Issues – represented by Maia Cholakova, Roma leaders from Fakulteta, prominent businessmen, upholsterers sellers took part in a meeting on 15.08.2007 in the office of Romani baht Foundation behind closed doors and agreed:

1. The police and the local administration to provide sufficient presence of police forces in the neighbourhood.
2. Fast disclose of the people responsble for the incident on 12.08.2007.
3. The places where non – formal groups gather to be closely watched by police.

In the night between 15 and 16.08.2007 in Fakulteta was calm and in the morning Roma people went to work. Now basic concern of Romani Baht Foundation is to support initiatives who should restore the mutual trust between Roma and Bulgarian people in Sofia and in the country as a whole.

Now the situation is in the hands of the law enforcement authorities.