Bulgarian Party Approaches ECHR over Roma Scandal in Yambol

After being evicted from Yambol's apartment building 20, some Roma families have built huts with materials at hand at the nearby meadow. Photo by BGNES

The Bulgarian party DROM announced it has approached the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in regard to the demolition on the notorious apartment building 20, accommodated with Roma.

The Roma were evicted last week because they had illegally occupied apartment building 20. However, as they were asked to move out, they have began to break the walls with hammers, in order to remove the metal structures from inside the concrete, and to sell them for scrap.

The local authorities have declared an emergency situation in the area after a 10-year-old girl was brought to the Yambol hospital in critical condition. The girl was injured when some Roma, angered by the order, began tearing down the panel construction.

After the demolition of the building began, some Roma families remained at the nearby meadow, building huts there with materials at hand.

The leader of DROM, Iliya Iliev, has explained that the mayor of Yamvol, Georgi Slavov, should resign because of his order for eviction of the Roma.

According to Iliev, the mayor has violated the human rights and DROM has decided to bring the case to court.

The first hearing is scheduled for September 23 in the Court of Appeals.

Iliev has also explained that apartment building 20 had been demolished because of private interests. In his words, locals believe that the site of the building will be used for the construction of a store from the German discount supermarket chain Lidl.

He also disproved the mayor's statement that the Roma have been illegally living in the building because 53 of them were the owners of apartments and the rest had accommodating orders.

The municipal counselor from Yambol Kanyo Kanyov has stated, quoting the police, that the demolition of apartment building 20 had been initiated by the mayor and that the Roma had been told to "take out the metal structures from inside the concrete and to sell them for scrap."