site.btaParliament Unanimously Condemns Hate Violence Against Doyen of Bulgarian Community in North Macedonia

The National Assembly in Sofia unanimously adopted a declaration strongly condemning an act of hate violence against Vladimir Perev, a doyen of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia, a journalist and advocate for the rights of Bulgarians in the country. The declaration was supported by 153 MPs from all parliamentary groups, with the exception of Velichie, whose members did not participate in the vote.

On November 24, Perev was verbally and physically attacked in a shop in Skopje. He reported the incident in a post on the Tribuna website.

In the declaration, the National Assembly reaffirmed its full support for all citizens of North Macedonia who identify themselves as Bulgarian and lawfully defend their rights. It also condemned the continued public denial, downplaying, and shifting of responsibility for the serious issues concerning the rights and security of Bulgarians, including statements from high-ranking political officials.

The Bulgarian parliament called on the authorities in North Macedonia to immediately halt all actions and statements that justify violence, including those targeting journalist Perev, and to cease the use of humiliating language directed at him that undermines his dignity, authority, and work. The declaration also urged the Northa Macedonia authorities to take all necessary measures to prevent further hate speech and acts of hate-motivated violence against Bulgarians.

The National Assembly called on the authorities in North Macedonia to promptly and effectively investigate the hate-motivated attack against Perev, identify the perpetrator, and ensure they are held accountable under the law.

Furthermore, Bulgaria’s parliament called on North Macedonia to guarantee respect for the fundamental rights and dignity of all its citizens without discrimination and to demonstrate the political will to implement constitutional reforms in full compliance with the 2022 European Consensus agreements.

The declaration also noted that the North Macedonian government’s announced draft Action Plan for the protection of minority rights is only a preliminary step and should be developed through an inclusive process. “This Plan, whose implementation will be monitored throughout the country’s EU accession process, should aim for full and genuine equality and include clear, measurable, and effective measures for protecting human rights and the rights of individuals belonging to communities in North Macedonia,” Bulgaria's National Assembly stated.