The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee is involved in systematic monitoring of the human rights situation in Buglaria in the spheres of: minority rights, discrimination, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment, rights of institutionalised children, rights of people with mental disabilities, refugee rights, freedom of religion, fair trial, freedom of speech, freedom of association and peaceful assembly.

We are engaged in strategic pro bono litigation before the domestic and international courts.

We popularise the concept of human rights by publishing our findings in annual and special reports.

We organise human rights trainings for legal practitioners, journalists, civil society activists.

The BHC maintains five permanent programmes through which it implements its activities. Each year we also carry out a number of short-term projects and initiatives. Read more about our programmes:

To find out more about our past activities, see also:

BHC Annual activity reports

Institutional Support and Media advocacy Programme

The programme for institutional support of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee has operated since 1993 with the support of Open Society Institute - Budapest. Support for the BHC's institutional development allows the committee to develop and strenghten the different aspects of its activities. The programme provides the necessary support and technical assistance to all our on-going activities, it organises the human rights monitoring in the different spheres and carries out investigations into human rights violations. It is also responsible for the coordination of all the activities of committee, for the organisation of the public events, for the monitoring in priority areas and for researches into human rights violations. The Institutional Support Programme has the primary responsibility for fundraising for the BHC.

Within the framework of this programme, the BHC has been publishing the monthly magazine Obektiv since March 1994. In June 2004 the mazagine was awarded Ist prize for print media devoted to interethnic tolerance at the International Media Festival in Albena 2004. Obektiv is a monthly Bulgarian-language publication. It is also published as an electronic English-language digest once every four months. Click here to see latest English-language editions of the magazine.

Obektiv is the platform through which the committee makes its positions and findings about the human rights situation in Bulgaria public. Obektiv informs on a wide spectrum of current human rights problems like police brutality, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, ethnocultural rights of minorities, rights of the child, conditions in closed institutions, fair trial, changes in domestic legislation, human rights issues around the world.

Legal Defence Programme

Since its establishment in 1995, advocacy before domestic and international courts in cases of human rights violations has been a main component of the BHC Legal Defence Programme. The Legal Defence Programme has pioneered various legal victories in fields like civil claims against the police; decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, the International Labour Organisation, etc. The programme's strategic litigation aims to bring Bulgarian legislation in line with international standards and to stimulate a better understanding of human rights standards among practising lawyers. The programme also prepares amicus curiae briefs before the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria (available in Bulgarian only) in cases which pose human rights problems.
Anti-discrimination Programme

The Anti-discrimination Programme operates within the Legal Defense Programme. Its main task is to file strategic addressing discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, sex, disability, and age. The programme is involved in pro bono litigation before the domestic and international courts, media advocacy, consultations on anti-discrimination issues, and provides training to legal practitioners on anti-discrimination law.
Another activity in the framework of the project was connected with the process of advocacy for the adoption of the Protection from Discrimination Act and activities for its popularisation. At the end of 2002 a coalition of 5 organisations was formed, later expanded to 37 organisations of ethnic and religious minorities, women's rights groups, organisations of people with disabilities and of consumers, organisations of sexual minorities, that supported the draft anti-discrimination act.
Project "AdvocAcy and Litigation on Behalf of People with Mental Disabilities"
The project is carried out together with Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Budapest
The project for human rights litigation on behalf of people with mental disabilities was launched in 2005 at the initiative of the Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Budapest. MDAC is a Budapest-based international non-governmental organization, whicha advances the human rights of children and adults with actual or perceived intellectual or psycho-social disabilities in Europe and Central Asia.
A legal consultant identifies and files lawsuits for the protection of the human rights of individuals with mental disabilities in the spheres of right to life, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment, detention, right to personal life, guardianship, right to healthcare, right to education and others.
The legal consultant represents victims of human rights violations before national and international courts, makes analyses of domestic and international legislation and provides recommendations for law reform, works with peer-advocacy organisations, provides training to users of psychiatry groups for self-advocacy.
Requests for legal aid
In certain cases, the Legal Defence Programme can provide legal aid if it is considered that basic human rights and fundamental freedoms are violated. The aid is free-of-charge and it consists of legal counselling and/or procedural representation before the domestic courts and the ECtHR in the following cases:
- excessive use of force by law enforcement officials;
- human rights violations in the closed institutions;
- restrictions of the freedom of expression;
- restrictions of the right to profess a religion;
- restrictions of the right of peaceful assembly;
- restrictions of the right to a fair trial;
- unlawful discrimination;
- restrictions of the right of a fair trial.
Please, send your written questions addressed to P.O. Box 146, 1504 Sofia or to the electronic address of the BHC Legal Defense Programme, legal@bghelsinki.org. Only copies of the relevant documents are accepted. Please, specify if you would like to receive the copies of these documents back. You will receive written notification if the BHC will be in a position to provide legal aid within 30 days.
Due to the extremely high number of requests for legal aid, the Legal Defence Programme is not able to provide such in all cases. The Programme does not grant legal help and does not take up a position in the following cases:
- property or restitution disputes;
- social accommodation;
- pensions or any other social benefits;
- labour disputes;
- disputes about rent contracts or any other contractual rights.
Intership program for volunteers
The Legal Defence Program of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee supports permanent internship program for volunteers. The duration of the internship is three months and is unpaid. The period can be continued following a mutual agreement.

The intern will be expected to:

prepare various legal and/or other documents;
carry out researches of Bulgarian and international legislation;
prepare memorandums;
work with and contacting clients, including processing of applications for legal aid lodged before the Committee;
make inquiries on current cases in courts or other institutions;
translate various texts from and into English.

The applicant should:

be a student or a graduate of law or other relevant studies related to protection of human rights (eg psychology, social work, international relations, etc.);
have a particular interest in the human rights sphere;
be available for at least 20 hours per week;
have a good computer literacy;
have good command of written and spoken English.
We offer:

training in protection of human rights - both in the course of the every-day work of our organisation as well as through participation in specialised seminars and other training events;
gaining practical experience in human rights protection.

CV's and cover letters are accepted all year round at 7, Varbitsa Street, 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria or daniela at bghelsinki.org (to Daniela Furtunova)

Closed Institutions Programme

The BHC has had a lasting engagement to the places for detention since 1997 when it launched a project for monitoring the prisons and juvenile correction facilities. In the following years the focus was widened to cover all places of compulsory detention: prisons and prison hostels, police and investigation detention facilities, psychiatric institutions, social institutions for adults with mental disabilities, and juvenile reformatory facilities.
The programme's goal is to ensure systematic monitoring of the closed institutions in Bulgaria in order to establish the compliance of the conditions in them with the international human rights standards and to assist the birning in line of the conditions in them with the European standards. The engagement of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee in the social care institutions for mentally disabled adults lead to structural changes in this sphere and to a substantial international and local interest to this acute problem.
In May 2007 with the financial support of the Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe the program started implementing project called "Assistance for the Reform in Bulgaria's Penitentiary Institutions". Within the framework of project activities systematic monitoring of the human rights situation will be carried out in all prisons, investigation detention facilities, prison hostels and juvenile reformatory institutions in Bulgaria. At the same time active communication with the responsible state authorities will be established and the BHC will lobby for improvement of the current legislation and implementation of reforms on order to synchronise the conditions in the penitentiary institutions with European standards for treatment of individuals deprived of their freedom.

Refugees and Migrants Legal Protection Programme

The Refugees and Migrants Legal Protection Programme has existed since 1994. It is supported mainly by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and works in cooperation with the State Agency for Refugees at the Council of Ministers.
The programme offers legal consultations, representation and attorney defense to approximately 5,000 people annually, it takes part in the development of the refugee and migrational policy of Bulgaria, assists for the successful integration of refigees in Bulgaria, as well as for their dignified return to their countries of origin.
The Programme offers free specialised legal consultations. The programme staff are engaged in: representation in refugee status determination proceedings, professional and independent legal defence, defence before the courts and other state institutions, assistance for successful integration, assistance for voluntary repatriation.
The programme operates in a separate office. It is located at 1 Uzundjovksa Street, 1000 Sofia, tel. 3592 981 3318 and 3592 980 2049.

Programme for Protection of the Rights of Children in Institutions

The BHC monitors children's institutions since 1997. In 2000-2006 a team of researchers published the first-ever in Bulgaria comprehensive studies of the institutions for children aged 0-3, the institutions for children aged 3-18, the special schools for children with developmental disabilities, the institutions for children with mental and physical disabilities, the juvenile reformatory schools, and the institutions for temporary placement of minors.
The BHC engagement to the children in institutions is long-standing and focused on their right to life, access to quality medical care, access to quality education, possibilities for socialization and genuine realization of their personality.
The programme is also involved in attracting the attention of the national and international public to the problems of institutionalised children in Bulgaria. It gives consultations to staff working in children’s institutions, it participates in discussions with state bodies responsible for the rights of children in institutions, it lobbies in Bulgaria and abroad for genuine deinstitutionalization and provision of quality care for children in institutions. The BHC is working together with the Mental Disability Advocacy Programme on the issue of children’s rights.

Decriminalisation of Defamation Project (2000-2003)– special site on freedom of expression

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