Bulgaria Top Cop Boasts Uncompromising Policy towards Police Brutality

Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has refuted criticism that the institution tolerates practices of police brutality. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

In a bid to respond to NGO criticism, Interior minister Tsvetan Tsvetnov has insisted that the institution has an uncompromising policy towards police brutality.

In its annual report for 2011, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) alerted to the fact that it had received numerous complaints about excessive force used by the police.

BCH Chair Krasimir Kanev complained that these corrupt practices had been justified on several occasions by Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Chief Secretary of the Interior Kalin Georgiev.

In a Friday interview, Tsvetanov defended the institution by saying the Interior was working "exceptionally fast and adequate" on tip-offs for police brutality and depending on the results of the investigation, the cases were either referred to the prosecution or penalized with disciplinary action.

Thsvetanov thanked the "valuable and honest officers who give their best to execute their official duties."

As an example he cited the policeman from the northern city of Pleven who was awarded Friday for returning a pile of precious Byzantium coins to the Culture Ministry.

The Interior Minister admitted, however, that the BHC'S conclusions concerning police brutality during arrests and in police departments were true.

"There have been such cases and such conclusions for years on end. Once such a tip-off arrives, we start work on its documentation and the removal of the officers in charge," Tsvetanov remarked.

He insisted that it was undesirable for one-off cases to lead to such a negative estimation of the condition of the law enforcement system, but admitted that there was still a lot to achieve.

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