Fresh Protest Looms ahead of Bulgarian 'Radical Islam' Trial Hearing

Several hundred Bulgarian Muslims gathered last week in the Southern town of Pazardzhik to protest against the court trial. Photo by BGNES

The District Court in the Bulgarian town of Pazardzhik is to hold a new hearing in the trial against 13 suspects who were allegedly preaching radical Islam in the country.

Bulgarian Muslims are set to stage a new rally in front of the court, according to local media. Several hundred Bulgarian Muslims gathered to protest in the Southern town as the trial kicked off last week.

The trial against the 13 members of the Al Waqf-Al Islami organization's local branch was launched on September 18.

The suspects have been charged with preaching an undemocratic ideology and seeking to impose Sharia law, for leading and participating in an unregistered religious entity preaching an undemocratic ideology and for preaching religious intolerance.

According to the indictment, the defendants built their belief systems in line with elements of Salafism, which they presented in Bulgaria in a radical version in the period March 2008 – October 6, 2010.

All suspects have pleaded not guilty.

The Bulgarian Chief Mufti's Office has condemned the trial, saying the accusations were exaggerated and manipulative.