Strasbourg Court Demands Action from Bulgaria After 'Zaharna Fabrika' Evictions

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has instructed Bulgarian authorities to provide suitable alternative housing for the fourteen individuals affected by the demolition of illegal structures in Sofia’s "Zaharna Fabrika" neighborhood earlier this month.

Last night, the ECHR informed both the homeless applicants and the Bulgarian government about the new interim measures.

Attorney Diana Dragieva from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, who is representing the fourteen applicants, commented that the authorities had already breached the initial interim measures issued by the ECHR, which had ordered a halt to the demolitions. According to her, more than 150 people have been left without shelter for two weeks, with no adequate institutional response despite the involvement of the prosecutor's office, relevant ministers, the regional governor, and municipal authorities.

Attorney Adela Kachaunova, director of the Legal Protection Program at the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, emphasized that although the new interim measures formally apply to the fourteen individuals who requested them, Bulgarian authorities bear the responsibility to address the needs of all those left homeless as a result of the demolitions, particularly when they had no other housing options.

A meeting at Sofia Municipality is scheduled for today to discuss potential solutions, but it will only involve a small number of families among the more than 150 people still without housing.