District Prosecutor's Office - Varna has submitted two applications to the court on the basis of Art. 1, item 3, b. "B" of the Law on non-profit legal entities for termination of the activity of two non-profit organizations registered in 2014. These are the Bulgarian National Movement "Shipka" and the association Bulgarian Military Union "Vasil Levski", managed by three men - D.S., 62, V.R., 65, and I.L., 30.
Both organizations have used social networks and websites to reach out to supporters and through various publications have managed to attract supporters to their ideas. Their official goals, according to the Statute of the associations, are the development and promotion of spiritual values, civil society, health, education, science, culture, technology, physical culture, and other activities with a patriotic orientation.
At the same time, however, behind the attempts to raise the Bulgarian spirit in publications on their websites, as well as in their profiles in social networks, a violation of Art. 44, para 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, according to which "organizations whose activities are directed against the sovereignty, territorial integrity of the country and the unity of the nation, towards inciting racial, national, ethnic or religious hatred, towards violating the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as organizations that establish secret or paramilitary structures, or seek to achieve their goals through violence are prohibited."
In the course of the inspection of the activity of the associations, carried out by the District Prosecutor's Office -Varna, texts were found in which hatred on religious and ethnic grounds was incited, as well as calls for fight against foreign citizens, representatives of certain ethnic groups and religions. Evidence has been gathered that during their existence the associations have organized specific training courses for their sympathizers to acquire certain combat skills. It has also been established that organized visits were made to the border of the Republic of Bulgaria with the Republic of Türkiye with the aim of apprehending illegal migrants. There is no data of results achieved by these civilian patrols.
In addition, the managers of the two associations had contacts with representatives of fractions from the Federal Republic of Germany and, in particular, with persons known for their far-right convictions.
District Court -Varna is expected to schedule a hearing on the applications of the District Prosecutor's Office.