Strasbourg Court Condemns Bulgaria Over Police Violence During the 2020 Anti-Government Protests

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Bulgaria in the case of Pedev v. Bulgaria (application no. 27165/21). The case became emblematic of police brutality during the anti-government protests in July 2020.

On 27 May 2025, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in the case of Pedev v. Bulgaria (application no. 27165/21), concerning the case of Dimitar Pedev — a young television director who was detained by the police during the anti-government protests in July 2020.

The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) represented Dimitar Pedev before the European Court of Human Rights.

The Court found that the Bulgarian authorities had violated Dimitar Pedev’s rights by subjecting him to degrading treatment due to his being handcuffed to a hospital bed for an entire day, in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Following his arrest and the police violence he endured, Pedev was admitted to Pirogov Hospital, where — despite his injuries and critical condition — he was handcuffed to the hospital bed. This was deemed unnecessary and contributed to his humiliation and physical suffering.

Furthermore, the ECHR found a procedural violation of Article 3, as no effective investigation into the allegations of police violence had been conducted. It was only after the Court communicated the complaint to the Bulgarian authorities in 2022 that the prosecution initiated pre-trial proceedings. The Court concluded that, in doing so, the Bulgarian authorities had implicitly acknowledged a violation of Article 3 of the Convention in its procedural aspect, concerning the initial investigation conducted in 2020 into the applicant’s allegations. Moreover, the Court noted that the government’s observations in the case contained an explicit admission of the investigation’s deficiencies with regard to Article 3 of the Convention.

The Court awarded the applicant compensation for non-pecuniary damages. The judgment underscores the state’s obligation to ensure effective protection against police violence and to conduct timely and independent investigations in such cases.

To recall — on 10 July 2020, during the mass protests against the government of Boyko Borissov in Sofia, television director Dimitar Pedev was detained by police at Orlov Most while on his way home. According to Pedev, he had not even participated in the protests. He was arrested and later charged with hooliganism. Subsequently, he was hospitalized and, despite requiring medical assistance, was handcuffed to his hospital bed.

Photo: The arrest of Dimitar Pedev at Orlov Most, photographed by Ivan Stoyanov, published by "Radio Free Europe": https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/a/30878556.html