четвъртък, 24 октомври 2013 г.

Occupying universities in Bulgaria



Photo: Tihomira Metodieva

Yesterday students from the Bulgarian Sofia University occupied for an unidentified period of time the biggest lecture hall in it and made the professor leave. Dimitar Tokushev is a professor in Law in the Law Faculty. He is also the chair of the Constitutional Court in Bulgaria. The reason for the students' anger is a direct consequence of the mass anti-government protests happening in the country since 14 June 2013. People are protesting for 133 days already.

The particular reason for the students' act was a decision by the Constitutional Court from 8 October 2013. In breach of the Constitution the panel (including Tokushev and four other judges who are also lecturers in the Law Faculty) decided to restore the MP rights of Delyan Peevski, a scandalous businessman, who is now back in the Bulgarian Parliament. Delyan Peevski has no right to be in the Parliament as his rights were terminated before the term set after he was appointed head of the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security. This appointment was accompanied by a series of scandals, including last-minute amendments in legal acts making his candidature suitable for the post. Peevski is also the owner of many mass media in Bulgaria, though legally it is just his mother who is linked to them. These media are extremely manipulating and financed through obscure ways, most likely by a bank where most of the public state money are kept - Corporative Trade Bank owned by the businessman Tzvetan Vasilev. Peevski's appointment was withdrawn but according to the Constitution only ministers can go back to Parliament once they stop holding the post. The students believe this decision clearly shows that the Constitutional Court, including the judges who are teaching the future lawyers, are controlled by the mafia.

The occupied hall is now used for alternative lectures by highly respected intellectuals. Today students from other universities and faculties followed their example.

Here are some pictures from day 24, day 83 and day 101:
Photo: Dima Proykova
Photo: Dnevnik
Photo: Tihomira Metodieva

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