Tue, May 22 2012

Interior Minister: Botched police operation complied with Bulgarian laws

Wed, Jul 28 2010 14:30 CET

byThe Sofia Echo staff

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Interior Minister: Botched police operation complied with Bulgarian laws

Photo: Krassimir Yuskesseliev

Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has defended the police over the ill-fated raid on a family in the town of Kurdjali on July 27 2010.

Tsvetanov appeared before a Cabinet inquiry on July 28 to face scrutiny after a botched police action, in which police raided the wrong house in Kurdjali, before assaulting and arresting the wrong suspects.

Reportedly, a four-man undercover police unit burst into the house of an ethnically Turkish family and brutally subdued them. The operation, during which a 20-year-old girl received a head injury, was conducted on July 25.

Sabahatin Mustafov and his son Kadir, both members of the family in question, were arrested but later released. Subsequently, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Turkish led Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) were outspoken in condemning the operation.

Tsvetanov, speaking during Parliament's inquiry, said that the case had drawn so much publicity because Kadir Mustafa is a chairman of the youth structure of the MRF in Kurdjali. This explained politicians' concern about the raid, Tsvetanov said during the Parliament inquiry, Focus news agency reported.

Remzi Osman, an MP from the MRF, called the Interior Ministry’s parliamentary secretary, saying he demanded to meet Tsvetanov to discuss the botched operation. According to Tsvetanov, however, "everything required by the Bulgarian legislation for the operation to be conducted was present", Dnevnik daily reported.

"I said I will carry out an investigation, but for the moment I cannot reveal what my colleagues had told me about the police operation," the minister said. He also said that the operation adhered to Bulgarian laws.

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Comments

Anonymous*******Thu, Jul 29 2010 18:03 CET

This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained foul, abusive or discriminating language

Преглед на профил Десен Thu, Jul 29 2010 01:23 CET
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Difference is that in the US when it is "botched" you got the right to shoot all the sheriffs down and get out of the courtroom with head held up high.
This is civil right.
The guys deserve compensation that has to come off the salaries of the policemen who raided the apartment and most of all from the payroll of the officer who sent them there.

Преглед на профил rene Wed, Jul 28 2010 15:23 CET
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"everything required by the Bulgarian legislation for the operation to be conducted was present" and "the operation adhered to Bulgarian laws"

should we conclude that under bulgarian law it is ok to assault a 20-year-old girl during an attempted arrest in a way that would cause head wounds?

or will this be the next case where bulgaria is in for a spanking by the european court of human rights?


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