site.btaBulgarian President Iotova Confers with ECHR President Guyomar

Bulgaria's President Iliana Iotova conferred with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) President Mattias Guyomar in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the head of State's Press Secretariat said. Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov and Bulgarian judge at the ECHR Diana Kovatcheva also took part in the meeting. 

Iotova highlighted the growing role of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights in light of the challenges facing the protection of human rights. “We often cite conventions, resolutions and documents, but in reality we have forgotten what human rights mean. We need to bring the discussion back to their value and protection and ensure that institutions work to safeguard the rights won over the past 70 years,” she said. 

The need for the European Court of Human Rights to remain independent of political influence was underscored. Iotova expressed hope that the supervision of the implementation of the Court’s judgments in the UMO Ilinden and Others v. Bulgaria group of cases related to measures to guarantee freedom of association would be concluded soon.

The meeting also noted that the number of applications lodged with the Court by applicants from Bulgaria has been steadily declining. 

Justice Minister Naydenov, who attended the meeting as part of a delegation led by Iotova, said that Bulgaria has consistently and steadily integrated the human rights standards established by the Court, and there are numerous concrete examples of this. He invited President Guyomar to visit Sofia next year to mark the 35th anniversary of Bulgaria’s ratification of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and to continue discussions on all legal matters related to cooperation between Bulgaria and the ECHR.

Naydenov noted a sustained trend of fewer new cases reaching an ECHR judicial formation. “Through concrete legislative, institutional and practical reforms, Bulgaria has demonstrated that it provides sustainable solutions fully aligned with European standards,” the Justice Minister said.

Earlier in the day, the delegation met with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset. Naydenov also took part in a meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers' Human Rights meeting.