Current

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Sofia, BULGARIA, October 12, 2009 -- On October 8th 2009 a group of civil organizations for protection of human rights in Bulgaria filed an official inquiry with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Migration Directorate concerning the investigation of the death of the Syrian citizen Mr.Hassun Albaadge which happened on the 6th of October this year in Busmantsi Detention Center for Illegal immigrants in Sofia*.

Four organizations: Justice 21 Civil Initiative, Legal Help – Voice in Bulgaria Foundation, The Legal Clinic for Refugees and Immigrants at SU “St. Kliment Ohridsky” and the Relief Center for People who had suffered torture – ACET, insist on complete transparency and maximum information concerning the investigation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its results. The inquiry insists for detailed information concerning the health condition of the man during his stay in the Detention Center as well as immediately prior to his death and the medical help he had received during his detention.”

Hassun Albaadge died suddenly on 6th October this year in Detention Center where he had been compulsorily detained on 30th November 2006. According to the testimony of his roommates several days prior to his death he had asked for medical help, but nobody paid any attention to him. The man was never taken to a specialized hospital in spite of his multiple complaints and chronicle deceases, known to the administration of the center, which were treated only by analgesics.

The civil organizations also insist for an explanation of the situation with the legal status of Mr.Hassun Albaadge and the reason for his 34-month detention. According to the new Foreigners Law in Bulgaria valid since 15th May 2009 the maximal term for detention is 6 months and only in special cases it is 18 months. The last two months the Syrian citizen was under detention without additional order /administrative or legal/ after the expiration of the extended by the Administrative court of the city of Sofia term for detention.

The escalation of tension after the death of Mr. Albaadge among the more than 200 foreigners under detention is not a precedent. During the whole day of 7th October police detachments were situated on the territory of the center to keep the order. According to the organizations for protection of human rights the main reason for the tension is the rude violation of the rights of citizens of third countries as well as lack of settlement of the application of the new regulations for the maximal term for detention according to the Foreigners Law.
 
Also recently another foreigner died suddenly and shortly after his release from the same detention center - Mr. Johnson Ibitui, citizen of Nigeria. Workers for the civil organizations believe that the massive heart attack which came as a result of the psychological stress is a direct consequence of the things Mr. Ibitui experienced during the one-year detention in the center.

In their inquiry to the Ministry of Internal Affairs the civil organizations engage themselves to follow closely the investigation and to actively cooperate for the avoidance of such incidents in the future.

Contact: Elena Dyankova
Coordinator of Justice 21 Civil Initiative
Breakthrough Christian Center
tel./fax: +359-2-9836730
email: edyankova@prelom.bg



* Busmaci Detention Center for Undocumented immigrants, Sofia is an institution of Migration Directorate at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the only one of its kind on the territory of Bulgaria. It has been functioning since 30th March 2006.
 
It is used for compulsory accommodation of foreigners with imposed orders for taking to the border or expulsion. The capacity of the center is 400 people. Presently 200 people are accommodated. Their number has grown after the entering of Bulgaria into the European Union. A high percentage of the accommodated have applied for the statute of a refugee in Bulgaria.

The foreigners are accommodated in the center and are not allowed to leave Bulgaria. Such measures can only be allowed within the period of several days. However most of the people who are being detained in this facility end up spending months and in some case years before being able to leave the country or be released.