Australia Foreign Prison Expert Slams Bulgaria Palfreeman Case

Danes, from the Foreign Prisoners Support Service, told AAP that there appeared to be several violations of Palfreeman's judicial rights. Photo by BGNES

An Australian foreign prisoners expert, Kay Danes, has slammed the Bulgarian case against Jock Palfreeman, who was sentenced to 20-years in jail for murder in Sofia Wednesday.

Danes, from the Foreign Prisoners Support Service, told AAP that there appeared to be several violations of Palfreeman's judicial rights.

"They didn't afford ... the right to cross-examine, CCTV footage wasn't allowed. So how can it be called a fair trial when vital elements were missing from the actual due process," she said.

"I don't honestly believe the outcome given to this young man would have been the same outcome given to him in Australia.” she added

Danes herself and her husband Kerry spent 10 months in jail in Laos after being accused of embezzling sapphires from the mine where Danes worked. They were released in November 2001 after intervention by the Australian government.

Danes said she had been in touch with the father of Jock – Dr. Simon Palfreeman, offering him her organisation's support.

A Bulgarian court sentenced Palfreeman to 20 years in jail for stabbing to death a 20-year-old student in Bulgaria.

According to prosecutors, who earlier in the day asked for life imprisonment for the defendant, Palfreeman was not provoked and did not act in self-defense, as he has claimed.

Palfreeman, 21, has been kept behind bars in a Bulgarian jail after being charged with murder after an alleged street brawl in the capital Sofia at the end of 2007.

Palfreeman also faced a charge of attempted murder over the alleged stabbing of a 19-year-old man during the fight.

The Sydneysider has repeatedly denied both charges, saying he was trying to defend himself from being attacked by a group of men.

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