28 October 2016
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"The chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), the largest organization for the protection of human rights in Bulgaria, was attacked this morning around 9:30 am by two unknown men in front of the Radisson hotel in Sofia. Krassimir Kanev was hit in the face and stomach, after which his attackers fled down Tsar Shishman Street. Police was called on the site after the incident. Kanev sustained minor injuries.
BHC strongly condemns the attack on its chairperson and calls on the authorities to take immediate actions to identify the perpetrators, including obtaining records from security cameras at the scene as soon as possible."
See: BHC Strongly Condemns the Attack on its Chairman Krassimir Kanev (link)
And see: Amnesty Accuses Bulgaria of Inciting Violence after Attack on Helsinki Committee Chair (novinite.com, link):
"Bulgarian authorities have not only failed to counter the climate of intolerance, but "have actively engaged in inflammatory speech and at times openly encouraged violence," John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe Director, has said. His words follow the attack on Krasimir Kanev, who heads the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee on Friday.
Kanev said on Thursday punched in the face and stomach by two strangers in the morning as he had been passing by a Sofia hotel near Parliament....
"Today's attack on Krasimir Kanev is an alarming assault [on] one of Bulgaria's most respected human rights campaigners. Authorities must promptly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice in fair trials," also says. He has added the attack comes at a time of increasing "xenophobia and intolerance directed against refugees, asylum-seekers and minorities including Roma as well as those who speak on their behalf".
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