Information newsletter
Issue 01(25), January 2006

News
Compiled by Diana Bancheva, AIP

No document has been declassified by the Bulgarian Intelligence Services yet
On January 24, 2006, the Sofia City Court heard the case of Hristo Hristov, a journalist from Dnevnik daily newspaper, against the number one secret service agent, Gen. Kircho Kirov. The Director of the Bulgarian Intelligence Services ignored the journalist’s request for access to documents from the archive of the First Bureau of the former State Security Services, responding only with silence. The request was for information about the assassination of the dissident writer Georgi Markov in London. The same court classified the file of this case at the request of General Kirov in 2005.

The National Intelligence Services keep the archive materials about the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II secret
On January 25, 2006, the Sofia City Court dismissed the complaint of Darik Radio journalist Bogdana Lazarova against the refusal of the National Intelligence Services (NIS) to provide access to archive materials related to the assasination attempt against Pope John Paul II. According to the court, the complaint had not been submitted within the legal timeframes. According to the NIS, the journalist had sent them an empty envelope, which had not contained the complaint. Lazarova and the team of AIP will appeal against the court decision.

Draft amendments to the Access to Public Information Act submitted in the Parliament
The MPs Ivan Ivanov and Evgeni Chachev from the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party submitted a draft law for the amendment of the Access to Public Information Act. One of the proposed amendments is the establishment of the obligation for public institutions to use the open source format in their computer and technology systems. Exceptional permissions for the use of closed file formats would be given by the Minister of State Administration.

Sofia City Ombudsman presented the 2005 report
On February 1, 2006, the 2005 annual report of the Sofia City Ombudsman was presented. “If anyone has any problems, they are welcome to come to our office.“ This was how Ms. Valentina Taneva, a deputy ombudsman for the territory of the Sofia City Municipality, described the activities of the ombudsman. 1650 citizens have turned to the ombudsman for help in facing problems with the administration. 413 of the complaints were admissible, the others were ungrounded. Part of the work of the ombudsman is related to the increase of the legal awareness of the citizens and providing feedback for the administrative process within the Socia City Municipality. The office of the ombudsman participated in the establishment of an interactive portal in the Internet where all sessions of the Sofia City Council are broadcast live. The ombudsman promised the establishment of an online register of all submitted complaints with bleached personal data when the office acquires the necessary equipment.