BULGARIANS OF MACEDONIA: A FIRST APPROACH

February 1998

Foreword

Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group - Greece jointly investigated in August 1997 the problems of the Macedonian citizens who declare having a Bulgarian national identity which however the Macedonian state denies. As a result of the preliminary investigation, a letter with related material attached was sent to the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in the Republic of Macedonia to further look into the matter. That Committee sent the letter to the Macedonian Ministry of Interior, without the supporting documents, and then published in the December 1997 issue of its newsletter Helsinki Monitor both the GHM letter and the Ministry’s reply. We reproduce here unedited the related texts exactly as forwarded to GHM by the Macedonian Committee. GHM believes that the Ministry response in fact confirms the basis of the allegations about the discrimination of Bulgarians in that country. Some of our related arguments are featured in the article of GHM researcher Mariana Lenkova "Violating Minorities' Rights Threatens Stability" in the Sofia Independent (20/2/1998).

FEW UNPLEASANTNESSES ACCORDING TO THE GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR FOR THE MINISTRY FOR INTERIOR OF MACEDONIA

Macedonian Helsinki Committee received the following letter by the Greek Helsinki Monitor:

We are writing to you to express our concern on the problems which some citizens of the Republic of Macedonia are faced with. Please, find enclosed information on a few cases involving Macedonian citizens with Bulgarian ethnic identity.

1. First and foremost - the case with the non-registration of the Organization of the Macedonian Bulgarians named Macedonian Revoluntary Organization - Ohrid on June 7, 1993.

2. The case of Maria Stoimenova from Skopje who claims that she was arrested on October 6, 1995 because of her relationship with certain Alekso Stoimenov from Strumitsa. While arrested, Ms Stoimenova was psychologically maltreated, so that she confesses guilty of having attempted the assassination of President Gligorov.

3. The case of Nikola Karkulev (Krkulev) from Ohrid, whose house was searched by the police on allegations that Mr. Karkulev keeps close relations with VMRO (IMRO) and calls himself "a Macedonian Bulgarian." (October 24, 1994). Karkulev claims that he was summoned to court because of having attacked the police verbally by calling them "You are Serbian police with Serbian weapons." (October 3, 1996).

4. The case of Vladimir Pankov (Paunkov) from Ohrid. Pankov denounced his Macedonian citizenship and acquired a Bulgarian passport as a protest against the violations of his human rights on the part of the Republic of Macedonia. Namely, he protested against the non - registration of the IMRO - Ohrid, which was then followed by maltreatment by the police. Apart from that, Pankov was arrested at the Skopje airport (October 26, 1995) on his way to a conference in Austria. The charge on which he was arrested was that there was suspicion that his Bulgarian passport was forged. The passport was confiscated on November 8, 1996. However, on March 10, 1997, the Macedonian Ministry of Internal Affairs changed the charges and informed Pankov that his passport had been confiscated due to the fact that he had failed to pay the alimony he owes to his former wife, thus committing a criminal act. Meanwhile, his home had been searched and some valuable things were taken away. Last, but not least, on his case, we would mention that Pankov used to be political refugee in Switzerland during Sfry years. He wants to go to Switzerland again, but since he is a Bulgarian citizen, he has to get a visa from the Embassy in Sofia. However, the border authorities in Macedonia would not allow him to do so.

5. The case of Pepi Ristov Krastanov from Ohrid, who claims to have been cruelly beaten by the police (July 11, 1997) due to alleged possession of literature in Bulgarian and connections in Bulgaria.

That is why we hope that you will take the appropriate steps to check on the above cases and give us the appropriate information so that we can write a complete report.

OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Regarding the above the Helsinki committee for Human Rights of Republic of Macedonia received the following reply from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) on December 23, 1997.

In reference to your letter dated Nov. 11.1997 requesting our comment on the cases mentioned therwith, the Ministry of internal Affairs undertook through investigation for each aprticular case in order to satisfy the essential principle for objective informing. Hereinafter we are giving our reply:

1. The registration of the Organisation of the Macedonian bulgarians _VMRO - Ohrid on April 7, 1993 was not completed due to the disrespect and disregard of the constitutional and legal terms provided with the Constitution of Republic of Macedonia. The founder then relinqueshed the registration procedure according the existing regulations.

2. I function of the investigation of the MIA on the assassination attempt of our President Mr. Kiro gligorov, in order to provide evidences and information, the police conducted a poll among citizens of Republic of Macedonia. The citizens Marija Stojmenova and Vladimir Paunkovski were questioned within this poll. While the interrogations they were not physically nor mentally violated.

3. Members of the MIA, in accordance to the legal regulations, searched the home of the citizen Nikola Krkulev, due to grounded suspicion that this citizen had hidden weapon in his home, and not because of his feeling as Macedonian Bulgarina (as actually he isn’t.). Namely, Nikola Krkulev is citizen of R.Macedonia, declared as Macedonian (according to the official identification papers and his birth certificate) and till now this citizen has not applied for changing his personal and familiar data, nor such have been authorised. Anyway, the citizen Nikola Krkulev often, while being intoxicated disturbed public peace and order and disdained other citizens of Republic of Macedonia.

4. Vladimir Paunkovski (not Pankov nor Paunkov) is also citizen of Republic of Macedonia in all official papers and his birth certificate. In the last census he declared as withdrawal of the citizenship of Republic of Macedonia, but this procedure is still not over. In accordance to the Nationality Law of Republic of Macedonia and to the European General convention on Nationality, till this procedure is not terminated he will not able one-sidedly to deprive from the citizenship of Republic of macedonia. He’d got a citizenship and passport of Republic of Bulgaria with different personal and familiar data. According to the legal regulations in Republic of Macedonia, one person cannot possess and use personal documents and passports with various personal data and of other states. Both his passports (Macedonian and Bulgarina) were deprived on the order of the Principal Court in Ohrid on Nov. 8, 1996 and a criminal charges have been brought against him for the criminal act #148796 of Art. 202, par. 1 at the Criminal Law of Republic of Macedonia. In 1995 he was sentenced 30 days in prison for the same act. With a court order thereupon, he was constrained to reimburse the debt towards his family. His home was not been searched, but was robbed, for which was reported. In former Yugoslavia, Paunovski was not a political refugee in Switzerland, but was temporally working there, and his mother is still living there. On December 20, 1995 he applied for a political asylum from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bulgaria, but he received a negative reply. His statements for violation of his basic human rights were not accepted as he declares himself as Macedonian Bulgarina and he does not recognise the macedonian language as native. Paunkovski will be able to leave Republic of Macedonia after he fulfills all his obligations towards his family and his citizenship status.

5. The claim of Pepi krstanovski (not Krstanov) that he had been cruelly beaten and violated just because he possessed literature in Bulgarina language and because his relations in Bulgaria and inaccurate. Many citizens in Republic of Macedonia have relations in bulgaria and are not being physically nor mentally misteated. The police arrested and questioned him as he was disturbint public peace and order being intoxicated.

At the same I would like to inform you that due to mu absence from the office and the time required to checka rightfully all the statements in your letter we were not able to send our reply sooner. I agree that the communication between the Ministry of internal Affairs and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of Republic of Macedonia, as well as with the other non-governmental organizations should be more active in order to inform the publicity more accurate and objectively.

Signed by: