Bulgaria Kills Euthanasia Draft Bill

Lyuben Konezov, MP with the left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, had submitted the draft bill. Photo by BGNES

Expectedly, the euthanasia draft bill proposed by left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party MP Lyuben Kornezov, was not accepted by the country's Parliament.

A total of 101 out of the country's 240 lawmakers participated in Thursday's vote. Only 13 voted in favor of the draft bill, while 59 were against and 29 abstained.

"Satan works every minute, every day," is what Pavel Shopov from the far-right Ataka (Attack) party said during the parliamentary discussion. He cited the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's arguments opposing the bill.

"You probably know Satan personally," Kornezov responded. The leftist MP pointed out that euthanasia has been around since ancient times, giving Thracians as an example, and added that as is allowed in many modern European countries.

The draft bill provided for four types of euthanasia- active, passive, voluntary and involuntary.

Although euthanasia is illegal in many countries across the world, the practice is allowed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Luxemburg, Uruguay, Japan, US' Oregon, Australia and Albania.

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