The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) strongly condemns the march that took place on Friday, September 12, under the slogan “Let’s Ban BHC" in front of the organisation’s office. The demonstration was organised by the political party Bulgarian National Union – New Democracy (BNS-ND) and the Facebook group “Fatherland Protection Movement”. BHC also condemns the lack of reaction from the Bulgarian authorities regarding a number of grave violations of the law that took place during the event.

As an organization BNS-ND was formed in 2001. Since then it took part in elections in different formats, under different names and as part of different coalitions. It is an extremely racist and xenophobic group of a neo-totalitarian type. It has been extensively involved in harassment of ethnic minorities and immigrants and has its own militia (the “Guard”), in the wake of the refugee crisis in 2013 patrolled the streets of Sofia to spot “unwanted elements”.

The march was attended by the BNS leader Boyan Rasate, as well as by Elena Vatashka and Radenko Grigorov from the Bulgarian Football Supporters’ Association.

The march ended at around 19:00 in front of the BHC headquarters. While driving there and in the presence of uniformed police officers, a significant group of the participants violated the traffic laws. Those gathered outside the office directed a number of threats and insults at the organisation and at specific employees, who were present in the office at that time.

Among the threats and insults were “You’re dead”, “If they still haven’t got it, we’re coming back angrier and stronger to make it clearer”, “Put up safety bars ... and buy bullet-proof jackets”, “Expect to be lynched”, “Dirty shitty whore”, “Diyarbakır is awaiting ... and worse in the dark streets of Sofia with no CCTV”, ‘Bastards”, “Monkey”, “We’ll hang you upside down” among others. A female visitor at the BHC office was threatened with rape.

During the demonstration outside the BHC office calls were made for the banning of all NGOs in Bulgaria. Many of the slogans that were chanted constituted public incitement to hatred and discrimination on racial or ethnic grounds.

These insults and threats were made in the presence of both obviously minor children and uniformed police officers who failed to react in any way.

On the day of the march BHC wrote to the Sofia Mayor, Yordanka Fandakova, and called on her to ban the march given its aims and taking into account previous similar actions of many of the participants in other public events. In a letter to Sofia Municipality, BHC stated that one of the organisers of the event – BNS-ND – is an organisation of a neo-totalitarian type which, despite being tolerated by the Bulgarian authorities and the Sofia Municipality, is known for its racist and xenophobic activities and for its denial of the principles of political democracy and human rights. The mayor remained unavailable despite of numerous attempted telephone calls. BHC has still not received any response from the Municipality.

During the rally the demonstrators carried banners with Nazi symbolism used by the BNS-ND party - crossed hammer and sword. This is a modified version of the symbol of the Black Front - a political group that existed in Germany in the early 1930s and whose founder Otto Strasser was one time member of the Nazi Party.

This case is yet another act of political persecution and harassment against BHC on the basis of its work in defense of human rights in Bulgaria. Earlier in 2014 the National Revenue Agency ordered and conducted a tax audit on the BHC on the signal of the VMRO-BND party – another organisation of a neo-totalitarian type. The audit came in response to the open signal that BHC referred to the Prosecutor General regarding a march with xenophobic slogans organised by the party and the Bulgarian Football Supporters’ Association in November 2013.

BHC notes with concern the rise in the frequency and popularity of anti-human rights and anti-NGO rhetoric in the country in recent years, as well as the trend for political parties embracing such discourse. Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association is a fundamental human right, as proclaimed in the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and in a number of international treaties signed and ratified by the country.

The legal regulation and the mere existence of civil society organisations are among the hallmarks of a democratic society and a fundamental democratic value. Undermining them is undermining the foundations of democracy and civil society. There is an inherent danger in the calls for the closure of NGOs and attempts to delegitimise their work by reason of their funding from foreign donors (or “agents”), because such calls are always antidemocratic and xenophobic by nature.

At the same time the inaction of the Bulgarian authorities, both law enforcement and municipal authorities, is disturbing and symptomatic. BHC will take legal action before the competent authorities against the organisers and participants in the demonstration, as well as against the state and municipal authorities if it is established that they have acted in culpable omission.

For additional information, pleas contact Krassimir Kanev, chairperson of BHC.