Information on marriage between individuals of different ethnic groups or religions with respect to law and legal status. [BGR8167]

There is no information currently available to the IRB Documentation Centre regarding legal restrictions on marriage between individuals of different ethnic groups or religions in Bulgaria. A source from Helsinki Watch assumes that such marriages are legal because he knows of many inter-ethnic marriages in Bulgaria (Interview, 20 March 1991). A source from the International Human Rights Law Group gave a similar assessment (Interview, 19 March 1991). Further, according to the U.S. Department of State's "1990 Human Rights Report", Bulgaria's Constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits racial discrimination (U.S. Department of State 1991). These provisions were also included in the constitution prior to the fall of the Zhivkov regime, however, in this period, Bulgarian authorities actively encouraged atheism and did not officially admit the existence of any minority ethnic groups (Country Reports 1988 1989, 996, 1002).
Bibliography


Lawyer from the International Human Rights Law Group, Washington. 19 March 1991. Telephone interview, Ottawa.
Representative from Helsinki Watch, New York. 20 March 1991. Telephone interview, Ottawa.
U.S. Department of State. 1989. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Department of State Dispatch. 1 February 1991. "1990 Human Rights Report." (NEXIS)