Bulgaria: Information on when Article 279 of the Penal Code was abolished and whether there was an amnesty on this article from 1989 to the present
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BGR15534.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bulgaria: Information on when Article 279 of the Penal Code was abolished and whether there was an amnesty on this article from 1989 to the present, 1 October 1993, BGR15534.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab8e60.html [accessed 11 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
An official at the Bulgarian Embassy in Ottawa was unable to state definitively whether or not Article 279 of the Bulgarian Code had been abolished or whether there had been an amnesty on it (18 Oct. 1993). He stated that even if Article 279 still exists de jure, it does not exist de facto as there are no longer any restrictions on leaving Bulgaria (ibid.).
According to Country Reports 1992,
Freedom of movement within the country and the right to leave it are constitutionally enshrined and not limited in practice, except in rare cases involving national security or detention on criminal charges. No exit visa is required to leave Bulgaria (1993, 733).
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992. 1993. US Department of State. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
Embassy of Bulgaria, Ottawa. 18 October 1993. Telephone interview with official.
