Dokument #1099532
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
According to a report from Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, the core of the secret services in Bulgaria
was State Security (RFE/RL 19 July 1991, 5). This agency was
reorganized in 1990 with two departments, the National Protection
Service and the National Intelligence Service, being placed
directly under the control of the president, and other departments
remaining under the control of the Internal Affairs Ministry
(Ibid., 5, 6). This RFE/RL report is attached to Response to
Information Request BGR9994 of 30 December 1991, available at your
Regional Documentation Centre.
According to attached reports, the control
of the intelligence service appears to be an on-going controversy
in Bulgaria (Demokratsiya 19 Mar. 1992; RFE/RL 13 Mar. 1992;
Khorizont Radio Network 29 Feb. 1992; BTA 4 Mar. 1992; Ibid.
1 Mar. 1992; Khristov Botev Radio Network 29 Feb. 1992; BBC Summary
11 Mar. 1992 ). The National Intelligence Service is reportedly
still under the legal control of the President of Bulgaria,
however, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) recently put forth a
proposal to place this agency under parliamentary control
(Ibid.). A number of political parties and President Zhelyu
Zhelev, who was elected by the parliament in August 1990 and by
popular vote in January 1992, do not support this proposal
(Ibid.). However, according to a report from Bulgarian Radio
on a meeting between President Zhelev and Aleksandur Yordanov,
leader of the UDF parliamentary group, Yordanov stated that
"differences exist only in the newspapers, and not between us" (BBC
Summary 11 Mar. 1992). Please see the attached articles for further
details, including information on the positions taken by various
political parties on this matter and a report on an interview with
President Zhelev.
In addition, please find attached two
reports on interviews conducted with the Chief of the National
Intelligence Service regarding activities and recent changes in
this agency, and a number of reports related to international
conferences on intelligence services held in Sofia in December 1991
and April 1992. Also attached are two brief reports indicating that
troops under the Internal Affairs Ministry were brought in to
replace police officers guarding foreign embassies (RFE/RL 24 Jan.
1992, 73; BTA 13 Jan. 1992). Further information on the National
Intelligence Service or other departments which were formerly part
of State Security is not currently available to the IRBDC.
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 11
March 1992. "President Zhelev and UDF Reach Compromise on
Intelligence Service." (NEXIS)
Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) [Sofia,
in English]. 4 March 1992. "BSP Favors Control of Intelligence."
(FBIS-EEU-92-044 5 Mar. 1992)
_____. 1 March 1992. "Zhelev, SDS
'Conflict' Develops." (FBIS-EEU-92-041 2 Mar. 1992 5)
_____. 13 January 1992. "Interior
Ministry Troops Supplement Police." (FBIS-EEU-92-009 14 Jan.
1992)
Demokratsiya [Sofia, in
Bulgarian]. 19 March 1992. "Zhelev Explains Position on
Intelligence Service." (FBIS-EEU-92-057 24 Mar. 1992, 8)
Khorizont Radio Network [Sofia, in
Bulgarian]. 29 February 1992. "Zhelev Expresses 'Negative View'."
(FBIS-EEU-92-041 2 Mar. 1992, 5)
Khristov Botev Radio Network. 29
February 1992. "Democratic Center Backs Declaration."
(FBIS-EEU-92-041 2 Mar. 1992, 6)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE/RL). 19 July 1991. Report on Eastern Europe. Vol. 2,
No. 29. Kjell Engelbrekt. "The Lasting Influence of the Secret
Services."
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 11
March 1992. "President Zhelev and UDF Reach Compromise on
Intelligence Service." (NEXIS)
Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) [Sofia,
in English]. 4 March 1992. "BSP Favors Control of Intelligence."
(FBIS-EEU-92-044 5 Mar. 1992).
_____. 1 March 1992. "Zhelev, SDS
'Conflict' Develops." (FBIS-EEU-92-041 2 Mar. 1992 5)
_____. 13 January 1992. "Interior
Ministry Troops Supplement Police." (FBIS-EEU-92-009 14 Jan.
1992)
_____. 10 January 1992. "Inteligence
Chief Describes Current Tasks." (FBIS-EEU-92-009 14 Jan. 1992,
6)
_____. 18 December 1991. "Intelligence
Service To Cooperate With U.S." (FBIS-EEU-91-244 19 Dec. 1991,
6)
Bulgarska Armiya [Sofia, in
Bulgarian]. 18 December 1991. "Zhelev Opens Conference of
Intelligence Services." (FBIS-EEU-91-248 26 December 1991, 5)
Demokratsiya [Sofia, in
Bulgarian]. 19 March 1992. "Zhelev Explains Position on
Intelligence Service." (FBIS-EEU-92-057 24 Mar. 1992, 8)
Khorizont Radio Network [Sofia, in
Bulgarian]. 29 February 1992. "Zhelev Expresses 'Negative View'."
(FBIS-EEU-92-041 2 Mar. 1992, 5)
_____. 24 February 1992. "Liberal Party
Backs Zhelev on Security Transfer." (FBIS-EEU-92-043 4 Mar. 1992,
5).
Khristov Botev Radio Network. 29
February 1992. "Democratic Center Backs Declaration."
(FBIS-EEU-92-041 2 Mar. 1992, 6)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE/RL). 13 March 1992. RFE/RL Research Report. Vol. 1, No.
11. "Weekly Review."
_____. 24 January 1992. RFE/RL
Research Report. Vol. 1, No. 4. "Weekly Review."
Trud [Sofia, in Bulgarian]. 20
December 1991. "Intelligence Director Says 47 'Retired'."
(FBIS-EEU-92-001 2 Jan. 1992, 4)
United Press International (UPI). 9
April 1992. BC Cycle. "Spy Chiefs Meet in Sofia for International
Conference." (NEXIS)