Between September 10 and 11, 2024, a group of international volunteers experienced severe violations of their rights at the hands of Bulgarian border police in the Malko Tarnovo region. The incident occurred after the volunteers rescued 10 individuals, including three children and two women, who had been without food and water for three days in an area known for high mortality rates among people on the move. When the volunteers arrived, one of the children was unconscious.
Upon alerting authorities about the rescue, the volunteers were falsely accused of smuggling and subjected to serious threats and physical violence by border police agents. They were arbitrarily detained for over 21 hours at the Malko Tarnovo border police station, where they were denied their fundamental rights to legal counsel, communication, medical assistance.
During their detention, the volunteers endured:
- Invasive physical searches
- Seizure of personal belongings, including mobile phones
- Denial of necessary medical attention
- Continuous racial insults and verbal abuse
A Frontex officer present at the scene confirmed the misconduct of the Bulgarian border police and promised to investigate the incident.
This is just the last case of a long series of pressure from the Bulgarian border police on international and national volunteers.
This egregious violation of human rights and international law raises serious concerns about the treatment of both humanitarian workers and vulnerable people in the region.
