No information on an August 1994 anti-crime law could be found in the sources consulted by the DIRB.

According to a representative of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in Sofia, there have been proposals for an anti-crime policy, but there is no specific legislation dealing with organized crime in Bulgaria (23 Feb. 1995). This information was corroborated by the director of the Helsinki Committee in Sofia, who added that articles 109, 320 and 321 of the Bulgarian penal code refer to organized crime (24 Feb. 1995). Please note that the DIRB has requested copies of the above-mentioned articles. Translations of these articles will be forwarded to you as soon as they become available.

For additional information on organized crime in Bulgaria, please refer to Response to Information Request BGR19777.E of 23 February 1995, and its attachments, which is available at your Regional Documentation Centre.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find attached the list of additional sources consulted in researching this information request.

References

Helsinki Committee, Sofia. 24 February 1995. Telephone interview with representative.

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), Sofia. 23 February 1995. Telephone interview with representative.

Additional Sources Consulted

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 1993.

Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports for 1993.

Human Rights Watch Report. 1994, 1995.

News from Helsinki Watch. Monthly.

FBIS Reports. June 1993-December 1994.

Keesing's Report of World Events. 1993, 1994.

RFE/RL Research Reports [Munich]. 1994.

On-line searches.

Country-specific books available in the Resource Centre in Ottawa.