A desk officer with the United States Department of State provided the following information in a telephone interview on 16 December 1991.

The Independent Society for the Defence of Human Rights referred to in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1990, the Independent Association for the Defence of Human Rights, and the Independent Society for the Protection of Human Rights are probably the same organization. The Bulgarian word translated as "society" in Country Reports 1990 may also be translated as "association"; similarly, the word translated as "defence" in this report may also be translated as "protection."

The Independent Society for the Defence of Human Rights, like many Bulgarian organizations, faced an internal split in 1990. In July 1990, Rumen Vodenicharov and a few other individuals were removed from the leadership, and replaced by a tripartite including Nikolay Kolev and two other individuals. Rumours of previous involvement with the secret services may be part of what fuelled the split. The source stated that these rumours could be true or they could be false, but he was not aware of any official charges being pressed against Vodenicharov. The source believed that Vodenicharov was not re-elected in November's parliamentary elections and that he has now become a nationalist, running for Vice-President in elections to be held in January 1992.

According to a consultant with the International Human Rights Law Group, the Independent Society for the Defense of Human Rights, the Independent Association for the Defense of Human Rights, and the Independent Society for the Protection of Human Rights are one organization; the discrepancy in titles is a matter of translation (16 Dec. 1991). This source indicated that Rumen Vodenicharov is the former head of this organization, having left it about a year ago (Ibid.). There were some allegations and controversy surrounding Vodenicharov regarding his voting practices as an elected member of Parliament (Ibid.). Apparently he voted in an independent manner, sometimes voting with the Bulgarian Socialist Party rather than the Union of Democratic Forces of which his party was a member (Ibid.).

A Radio Free Europe report of May 1991 indicates that the Independent Association for the Defense of Human Rights split into two factions in February 1990, one headed by Iliya Minev and the other by Rumen Vodenicharov (17 May 1991, 7). Vodenicharov's organization won legal recognition on 21 March 1990; however, in August 1990, Vodenicharov was forced to resign and was replaced by three co-chairmen (Ibid.). The report lists Nikolay Kolev-Bosiya as one of these co-chairmen (Ibid.). A November 1991 article from Radio Free Europe also states that Nikolay Kolev-Bosiya is the chairman of the Independent Association for the Defense of Human Rights (29 Nov. 1991, 5).

Please find attached a 1990 excerpt from the East European Reporter and two excerpts from Radio Free Europe reports providing information on Rumen Vodenicharov and the Independent Association for the Defence of Human Rights.

There is no further information currently available to the IRBDC on this topic subsequent to that already provided to you in Response to Information Request BGR9741 and Bulgaria: Political Parties and Groups (from the IRBDC's Question and Answer Series).

Bibliography

Consultant with the International Human Rights Law Group, New York. 16 December 1991. Telephone Interview.

Desk Officer with the United States Department of State, Washington. 16 December 1991. Telephone Interview.

Radio Free Europe. 29 November 1991. Vol. 2, No. 48. Report on Eastern Europe. Engelbrekt, Kjell. "Nationalism Reviving."

. 17 May 1991. Vol. 2, No. 20. Nikolaev, Rada. Report on Eastern Europe. "The UDF's Members and Groups with Observer Status, Spring 1991."

Attachments

East European Reporter. Autumn/Winter 1990. Vol. 4, No. 3. Poppisakova, Pavlina. "Who's Who in Bulgarian Politics."

Radio Free Europe. 17 May 1991. Vol. 2, No. 20. Nikolaev, Rada. Report on Eastern Europe. "The UDF's Members and Groups with Observer Status, Spring 1991."

_____. 31 Aug. 1990. Vol. 1, No. 35. Report on Eastern Europe. Engelbrekt, Kjell. "Profiles of Opposition Leaders."