The Ministry of Interior refuted the allegations of inhumane treatment of the detained participants in the protest of the "Vazrazhdane" party in front of the European Commission building in Sofia. The clothes of the arrested were seized as part of procedural investigative actions, and immediately afterwards the detainees received other clothes from their relatives.
This is clear from an official position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In connection with publications on social networks containing allegations of unlawful actions by the police with detainees for vandalism during yesterday's protest at the "Vazrazhdane" police station, the SDVR defines the distribution of such videos and photos as provocation and manipulation of the facts and circumstances related to the procedural investigative actions taken.
The police officers of the SDVR acted within the framework of the law and in compliance with the relevant provisions. Additional procedural investigative actions were carried out to collect evidence in the initiated pre-trial proceedings.
The persons were examined in the presence of surrogate persons of the same sex on the basis of Art. 158 para. 3 and and art. 158 para. 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Art. 158 para. 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure states: an examination of a person in pre-trial proceedings is carried out with his written consent. Four of the detainees gave such consent.
One of the detainees did not give his consent and the officers applied art. 158 para. 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to him, which states that in urgent cases, if this is the only possibility for collecting and preserving evidence, the pre-trial proceedings authorities may conduct an examination without prior permission, with the protocol being submitted for approval by the prosecutor to the judge no later than 24 hours. During the procedural actions, a person with immunity filmed, despite the warnings of police officers that this was against the rules and regulations.
The detainees were promptly provided with other clothes, brought by their relatives.
The materials on the case were reported within 24 hours to the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office.