site.btaFirst-reading Amendments Introduce Personal Physical Protection for Threatened Witnesses

The National Assembly Wednesday adopted first-reading amendments to the Act on the Protection of Persons Threatened in Connection with Criminal Proceedings, submitted by the Council of Ministers. The changes introduce personal physical protection for threatened witnesses for up to 60 days, with the possibility of extension for another 30 days by the prosecutor or the court.

The draft amendments were adopted with 147 votes in favour, none against, and 14 abstentions.

The Office for the Protection of Threatened Persons, at the Ministry of Justice, is tasked with assessing the need for continued special protection for each protected individual, and providing an opinion to the Minister of Justice, without this being tied to a six-month period as is currently the case. This means that the assessment can be carried out more or less frequently depending on the specifics of the case, reads the bill's reasoning.

In cases where the type of protection provided changes immediately, the Office head may order measures from the Protection Programme and preliminary protection, such as personal physical security and accommodation in a safe place. The regulatory framework for the provision of personal physical protection under the terms and conditions of the Code of Criminal Procedure is being clarified.

Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev explained that the bill introduces the possibility of granting a new identity as early as the preliminary phase of protection. He added that the bill is specifically intended to address the abuse of opportunities afforded to persons under protection, who have driven luxury cars on highways and in cities, flaunting the security provided to them, which he classified as unacceptable.