Bulgaria: Police
01 January 1991
Bulgaria: Police
artdoc April=1995
Another Romany dies in custody
Amnesty International have asked the Bulgarian president to
instigate an inquiry into the death in police custody of Slavcho
Lyubenov Tsonchev. This is the third recorded death in custody
of a member of the Romany community in just over a year.
On 24 September Mr Tsonchev was arrested on suspicion of
stealing several cows, and taken to Pleven Regional Police
Department where he was allegedly tortured. When called to
identify her husband's body the next day, Mrs. Tsonchev noticed
bruising to the body and lesions on his face. The death
certificate noted the presence of haemotonia all over his body
and limbs.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has recommended that the
Bulgarian government sets up an independent inquiry into
allegations of torture and ill-treatment of the Romany by law-
enforcement officers in the towns of Dubova, Stara Zagora,
Glushnik and Pazardijk, as well as racial attacks against Gypsies
in Dolno Belotintsi and Pleven (Romnews no. 18, 5.10.94, no. 19
24.10.94).
IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 11, December 1994. Contact:
Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London
WC1X 9HS. Tel: 0171 837 0041