Bulgaria's Rashkovi Roma Clan to Sue Locals for Discrimination

Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, and his clan triggered massive tensions across Bulgaria in September after the murder of a teenager in Katunitsa. Photo by BGNES

Vasil Markov, one of the lawyers of the Rashkovi Roma clan, plans to file a lawsuit for discrimination and incitement to ethnic hatred against the residents of the southern village of Katunitsa.

According to Markov, locals have been extremely hostile to the family, calling them "dirty gypsies", saying that they would not let them return to the village and even threatening to kill them in TV and radio reportages aired during prime time.

The expert insists that the widely publicized abuses and threats are an act of racism for which the authors of the statements must be held liable.

"The central authority has decided to do away with the Rashkovi family but let this at least be based on the law. They are doomed," Markov told journalists on Thursday.

He further noted that there were so many racists in Bulgaria "like no other country in the world".

Markov was also the defender of Kiril Rashkov's daughter, Sabka, who was given a two-year suspended sentence with four years of probation and a fine of BGN 10 000 for keeping unregistered antiques and art objects.

The lawyer argued that Sabka Rashkova knew nothing about collecting antique objects and was grateful that the seized objects would go to a Plovdiv museum where the people could enjoy them.

On January 23, Kiril Rashkov was sentenced by the Asenovgrad Regional Court to 3.5 years in jail for issuing death threats against two locals, Veselin Hristov and Ivanka Petrova.

Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, and his clan triggered massive tensions across Bulgaria in September after the murder of a teenager in Katunitsa.

On September 23, a van driven by alleged associates of Rashkov ran down and killed 19-year-old ethnic Bulgarian Angel Petrov.

On November 22, another representative of the notorious Roma clan, Kiril Rashkov-Jr, the grandson of Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, was sentenced to 8 months of imprisonment for issuing a murder threat to Veselin Hristov.

On February 08, the Plovdiv District Court increased the penalty for Rashkov-Jr to 3 years of imprisonment.

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