The three Bulgarian citizens who were detained by the authorities in the Republic of North Macedonia at Deve Bair border crossing on Saturday, February 4, have been released from custody. As a reason for their detention, the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia cited violation of public order and aggressive behaviour towards Macedonian border police and customs officers. The detained Bulgarians claim that there was physical violence towards them and are considering filing a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.
Strong security measures in Skopje for the observance of 151st birth anniversary of Gotse Delchev
A 300 euro fine, a 3-year ban on entering the Republic of North Macedonia and immediate departure from the country were the measures taken against three Bulgarian citizens who were detained yesterday at the Deve Bair border crossing. The trial in a court in Kriva Palanka ended late on Saturday and the Bulgarians returned to the country around 4 o'clock this morning, February 5.
Today, "Vazrazhdane" party, a representative of which is among the three Bulgarians convicted in North Macedonia, insisted on a meeting with caretaker Minister of Interior, Ivan Demerdzhiev, on the case. Meanwhile, in Blagoevgrad last night, the window of the private Macedonian cultural club, which was opened a few months ago, was broken.
The former MP from "Vazrazhdane" Angel Georgiev is among those detained by the border guards at "Deve Bair". The reason: after a Bulgarian man was detained by the Macedonian authorities, Georgiev and other Bulgarians started filming a video. The border guards told them not to film.
Angel Georgiev - "Vazrazhdane". The border police officers from North Macedonia grabbed us. Then they took us inside the checkpoint itself and on the way in they hit us repeatedly and inside the rooms of the building itself they beat us again. There were threats as well, and I quote, 'We're going to beat you like dogs”.
They say that the Macedonian side refused them a lawyer, a doctor and contact with the Bulgarian authorities. After holding them for several hours at the checkpoint, they were taken to Kriva Palanka and sentenced. The reasons: taking pictures with a phone at the border and words that Georgiev claims they did not say. They added that the money for the fine they gave in hand, in euros, to the police officers, and did not receive a document for the payment.
Angel Georgiev - "Vazrazhdane": "What we will undertake is to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, to initiate meetings in Brussels respectively with Mrs. Von der Leyen and Mr. Várhelyi, in general with everyone who should know what is happening and not happening in North Macedonia".
Late last night in Blagoevgrad, South-Eastern Bulgaria, the window of the Macedonian cultural club was smashed. The club was opened on October 30 last year, without much provocation.
Atanas Maznev, the Macedonian Cultural Club "Nikola Vaptsarov" - Blagoevgrad: "The attack is due to the recent tensions. These are people, probably with the self-awareness that they are patriots and take patriotic actions in this way".
Ilko Stoyanov, mayor of Blagoevgrad municipality: "This premise was obviously created for the purpose of provocation and after yesterday's events, which are mostly due to the actions of politicians in North Macedonia, we can say that they managed to provoke aggression, albeit against an inanimate object."
According to a handwritten note taped to the door, the club in Blagoevgrad is open only once a week.
Ilko Stoyanov, mayor of the municipality of Blagoevgrad: "We had forgotten that this premises existed until this provocation, again I say provocation, created by our neighbours from North Macedonia".
The perpetrators of the act of vandalism are being sought by the police.
Police control at Deve Bair border checkpoint was strengthened on Saturday, February 4, as groups of Bulgarians headed for Skopje for the observance of the 151st birth anniversary of revolutionary Gotse Delchev. Cross-border traffic between the two countries was disrupted for hours in the morning. The North Macedonia authorities said the system was not working due to technical problem.