8 September 2004

:: NEWS ::

Two companies fined for committing acts of ethnic discrimination

Kenar and the Sofia Electricity Distribution company have committed acts of ethnic discrimination, rules Sofia District Court

2003 news

2002 news

Sofia, 8 September 2004 - With a decision from 13 August 2004 Socia District Court found that the private company Kenar is guilty of committing ethnic discrimination. The lawsuit was filed in connection with the company's refusal to allow a man of Romani origin to a job interview on account of his ethnicity. Angel Asenov, 24, inquired in a telephone conversation about applying for a job at the company. When it was established that he was eligible for the post and was invited for an interview, Angel said he was Roma. The company told him that this was "100% a problem" and he shouldn't even bother to come since they were never going to hire a "Gypsy".

The lawsuit was brought in by the Romani Baht Foundation and the European Roma Rights Centre under the provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Act. Sofia District Court issued a decision that Kenar Co. had treated the applicant in a discriminatory manner and shall refrain from such behaviour in the future and should pay the applicant non-pecuniary damages.

The second lawsuit, against the Sofia Electricity Company, was field jointly by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the Romani Baht Foundation. The European Roma Rights Centre joined as an interested party. The lawsuit challenged the refusal of the company to repair the electricity system in the Roma neighbourhood of Fakulteta on acount of a certain number of unpaid electricity bills. As a result, at least 100 families, that were regular bill-paying customers, were left without electricity for over two months in winter. The applicants supplied proof that this lead to a discriminatory treatment since the Roma families that regularly paid their bills were in put a more unfavourable position than the Bulgarian families. The court ruled that this is indirect discrimination and ordered the Sofia Electricity Company to stop such practices in the future.

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