Bulgaria Copies Its Big Brother, Greece: EU and Nato Parents "So Proud"

I assume that it was difficult, but apparently not gut wrenching, for the EU to allow Bulgaria into the EU at a time when Bulgaria was denying basic human rights to ethnic Macedonians. Can't spank Dickoff while Dickopolous is doing the same thing. The kids have been warned not to play with those Russian "ruffians" across the street ... they just don't have any manners. What a dysfunctional family!


US State Department
Report on Human Rights in Bulgaria:

During the year the Macedonian activist group, Ilinden, successfully held a public meeting to initiate its registration as a political party. In 2005 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the country had violated the right of its citizens to peaceful assembly by dispersing Ilinden's demonstrations and preventing the group from holding peaceful meetings from 1998 to 2003. Despite the progress, the group reported difficulties registering as a political party. (Tell Me About It)

The Macedonian activist group Ilinden continued to report difficulties in registering as a political party. The courts refused it legal registration in 2001 on the grounds that it was a separatist group whose statute and program were directed against the unity of the country. In June Ilinden launched a re-registration campaign but was accused in some media reports of paying for signatures in order to reach the 5,000 threshold. Ilinden's appeal of the Sofia City Court's decision, which rejected its registration citing numerous procedural violations, was ongoing at year's end. Group members reported hostile treatment from the authorities, specifically prejudiced statements from the Blagoevgrad mayor and an aggressive campaign by the police, who went door to door to question members on their affiliation with Ilinden.