Bulgarian Vigilante Migrant Hunter Charged with Instigation of Violence, Hatred

Dinko Valev from the Bulgarian city of Yambol has been charged with instigating discrimination, violence and hatred based on race, nationality and ethnicity.

This has been established by the district prosecutor's office in the town of Sredets and his case has been brought to the Sofia district prosecution.

Earlier in the year, Valev made the headlines of national media for being responsible for the first of a series of citizen's arrests of illegal migrants along the border with Turkey.

On February 14, he reported to the 112 emergency number that he had detained a group of sixteen migrants, among whom were fifteen adults and one small child/baby.

In the recording of the call, Valev could be heard ordering everyone to lie down, to issue death threats and to swear at the migrants.

His actions are thought to have had great effect on the general public as he appeared on national television and social media.

This incident was followed by several other citizen's arrest along the border. Initially, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov appeared to encourage the vigilante migrant hunters and even thanked them for their efforts.

Later, the authorities dismissed the citizen's arrests as unlawful and the interior ministry issued instructions to people in border areas on the actions they have to take in case they encounter illegal migrants.

On Wednesday, a former official of Pegida and the head of a Dutch offshoot movement boasted on Facebook that they had been in Bulgaria to hunt for illegal migrants along the border with Turkey.

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