site.btaJustice Minister Opens 24th Europol Witness Protection Network Conference

Protecting witnesses in cases involving organized crime is essential for effectively combating it and securing convictions, Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev said on Wednesday at the opening of the 24th Conference of the Europol Witness Protection Network in Sofia, as quoted in a press release from the Justice Ministry.

Hosted by Bulgaria, the forum was attended by representatives of over 50 countries and international organizations, including the UN, the International Criminal Court, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, and the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine, among others.

Georgiev expressed his gratitude for the long-standing partnership with Europol which he said was of the utmost importance for Bulgaria and had contributed to its accession to the Schengen area. He emphasized the role of Europol as a partner of the Bulgarian Bureau for the Protection of Threatened Persons. He added that the National Assembly is currently considering an amendment to the Act on Protection of Persons Threatened in Connection with Criminal Proceedings, which aims to optimize the implementation of witness protection measures by giving the Protection Bureau more effective control over the obligations of the threatened person. The amendments also introduce clear deadlines under the Criminal Procedure Code and the special law, with the aim of protecting the life and health of witnesses.

Prior to the conference, he held a meeting with Laszlo Tarr, Head of the Europol Operations Centre, and Daniel Jansen, Coordinator of the Europol Witness Protection Network. They discussed upcoming joint initiatives with the Head of the Bureau for the Protection of Threatened Persons, Chief Commissioner Rosen Todorov, and the Deputy Minister of Justice, Stoyan Lazarov.

During the forum, participants discussed and confirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen international cooperation in the field of witness protection, emphasizing that this is a key element in combating organized crime (both national and cross-border), war crimes, and crimes against humanity, as well as supporting judicial systems. Those attending the meeting expressed a common position on the need to continue international cooperation in this area, which requires active international exchange of good practices between countries and organizations. This will contribute to the development of sustainable and effective mechanisms to combat organized crime at national and international levels.