Yambol Gypsy Gets Prison Sentence For Tearing Up Bulgarian Flag

This story was noted a few months ago when the youth concerned accused the policeman of physical abuse when he was arrested. The policeman was cleared int he courts and not the youth finds a prison sentence ahead of him. Whether the 'lie' of falsely accusing the policeman was taken into account remains open.

Justice has been done it seems from what accounts I have read. Tearing up your National flag is a serious offence here even thogh many Gypsies consider themselves non-Bulgarians. I assume that I would get the same sentence it I did this act as an expatriate.

Young Gets One Year Sentence for Desecrating Bulgarian Flag

Marin Dimitrov, aged 20, will serve a one year sentence behind bars after being found guilty Tuesday by the Yambol District Court for desecrating a Bulgarian flag.

The other four defendants on the case were all excused. This court decision however is going to be protested against by the Prosecution.

The incident took place on February 9th 2008, when around 3 AM a group of young Roma under the influence of alcohol after a night spent in a night club, decided to try and climb the flag pole at a local school in the village of Boyadzhik.

Once Marin Dimitrov was up on the pole as policeman, Mitko Chavdarov, arrived to the scene. This shocked the group and Dimitrov allegedly fell from the pole, tearing the flag as he went down. The group then resorted to a series of insults aimed at the policeman.

Three of the Roma filed complaints against him and initially Chavdarov was fined 1,000 leva (EUR500) by a Military Court, but the decision was later overrun by a second instance.

Clipped From http://www.bgnewsnet.com

Image by Klearchos Kapoutsis via Flickr