MINELRES: Bulgaria: Demonstration against the murder of a young Roma man

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Emil Cohen <emilcohen@mbox.cit.bg>


HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT*

PRESS RELEASE

Bulgaria: Several Hundred Roma from Silistra Demonstrated against the
Murder of a young Roma man on Sunday

Sofia, August  07, 03 - On Tuesday, August 05, 03 several hundred Roma
from Silistra (a town situated on the North-eastern part of the country
at the coast of Danube river) carried out a demonstration in front of
the building of the local police station on occasion of the murder of 26
years old Roma man Gunal Taliat. They carried placards with slogans:
"Mr. Petkanov (he is Minister of Interior) do your work!", "Stop the
lawlessness!", "Stop of the corruption!" and "We ask a justice!"  Some
of the protesters cried: "We want a dead for a dead!" 

Delegation of 5 Roma women were adopted by the Deputy chief of the local
police station colonel Radoslav Dimitrov. He promised the eventual
killer Radoslav P. (39) to do not be released from a custody. 

The reason for the demonstration was the murder of Gunal Taliat on
Sunday. On August 02, 03 he together with his friends Aisun Mustafa,
Nazlam Moarem and Sertel Saly went in the discotheque 'Business club'
and entered into the place of amusement. Around 0:30 AM another group of
Roma entered into the discotheque. Around 2:30 AM Sertel, Aisun and
Gunal Taliat got up and begun to prepare themselves to go out. They went
out but some time after this came back because they guessed they forgot
to say 'Good bye' to their friend Nazlim. Then suddenly a squabble
happened between Gunal and the killer � Radoslav P. It is important to
note that after this nobody from the group of Roma men did not any
contact or talk with the killer. After short brawl between the victim
and the killer the last stroke very strongly several times Gunal with
his fist on the face of the victim. Gunal fell to the ground. Inside the
discotheque Naslim saw the accident and went out the premise in order to
stop the assault of Radoslav. But when he reached to the place of the
accident he saw that that Gunal was lain on the ground and then the
assailant jumped on him and stroke him several times on the body also on
his head and face. When saw the scrimmage other friends of the sufferer
rushed on to the victims and to the assailant, but the last was able to
escape. In spite of all some time later the police could to catch the
perpetrator. Now he is in custody and the court confirmed that he have
to stay in the arrest. An preliminary inquires against the criminal
begun. 

The friends tried to take Gunal to the hospital. The policemen and first
aid arrived. Gunal received medical cares but at next day he died. 

The victim as well as his friend belongs to the so-called 'millet'.
These are Roma, who are Muslim and most of them speak Turkish language
as their mother tongue. Nevertheless the world around perceived them as
Roma. 

The assailant has two pending cases before the court. He is well known
in Silistra as a criminal. Beside this it is well known he has strong
anti-Roma attitudes and prejudices. Many people suspect that the
assailant has influenced patrons among the rulers of the town. That
suspicion as well as the anxiety that him patrons will give him
assistance in order to he to avoid the justice was the main reason for
the demonstrations. 

Human Rights Project gave an initial legal help to the relatives of the
victim (he left a young wife (21) and a little son (4). We will go on to
watch the developments of the case. 

On behalf of HRP:

Emil Cohen 

__________________

*Human Rights Project was established in the summer of 1992 as a
non-profit organization focusing on monitoring the human rights
situation of the Roma in Bulgaria, and on legal defense in cases of
serious human rights abuses. The HRP monitors the human rights situation
of the Roma community in Bulgaria and reports on the cases which it had
investigated; works with Roma volunteers from all over the country who
report on the human rights observation in their region; conduct
independent extrajudicial investigation into allegations of human rights
violations against Roma; hire lawyers to take up selected cases and
monitors the process of legal defense; advocates legislative and policy
changes in favor of Roma.

Rumian Russinov is Chair of the Board of HRP. 

Dimitrina Petrova and Galia Marinova are members of the Board.

Emil Cohen emilcohen@mbox.cit.bg is Executive Director.

Our address: 23 Solunska St., 6th floor; 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Tel./fax: (+359 2) 986 35 46 and (+359 2) 981 50 66;

E-mail: hrproject@mbox.cit.bg and hrp@netel.bg