Document #1285023
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
According a March 1990 report from the
Information Centre of the Bulgarian Community, Articles 107 and 108
of the Bulgarian Penal Code had been amended, although their
"restrictive strength" remained intact. A 30 November report from
Sofia Home Service lists the articles expected to be amended or
abolished at a mid-December 1989 sitting of the Bulgarian National
Assembly. It states only that Article 108 is to be amended and that
nine other articles were to be abolished, most of them in
full.("First News Conference by Government Spokesman"; Information
Centre of the Bulgarian Community, p. 9)
A 16 December report in The Los Angeles
Times states that 11 sections of the Penal Code were to be
amended during that session and that the "only remaining
prohibitions would apply to speech advocating fascism or the
violent overthrow of the government." At the same time, The New
York Times reported that the amendments made it "lawful, in
most cases, to criticize the state," while The Associated
Press reported that prosecutions for "anti-state activity" or
"crimes against allied states" were now a thing of the
past.("Bulgaria Grants Amnesty"; "Bulgaria Is Eager"; "Bulgaria
Declares Amnesty")
A copy of a 7 December 1989 report from the
Bulgarian Telegraph Agency is attached with this response. It
indicates that several phrases dealing with "fascist behaviour" and
other "anti-state" activities, were to be removed from the Penal
Code. The IRBDC does not have confirmation at this time regarding
the precise changes made to Penal Code articles during the December
1989 session of the National Assembly, but is awaiting such details
from an informed source at Helsinki Watch in New York.