"Ravni BG": Minister of Interior slanders humanitarian organizations in The Times

The BlueLink Foundation supports the position of the civil coalition "Ravni BG" regarding the recent statement by Interior Minister Daniel Mitov to the British newspaper "The Times." "Ravni BG" considers the minister's claims that "neo-Marxist groups" (the international organization "No Name Kitchen" and the Bulgarian "Mission Wings" are mentioned) are assisting in a "Russian plan to flood Europe with migrants" to be slander.

Ravni BG emphasizes that it is "particularly disturbing" that such "defamatory statements" come from the Minister of the Interior, whose department is responsible for investigating crimes. "Instead, the minister is using the legit platform of a leading European publication to make assumptions without providing evidence and to cast doubt on the civil sector," the statement says.

In a separate statement on the case, the Bulgarian organization Mission Wings, mentioned by Minister Mitov, said: "It's preposterous that we are being accused of working with criminal groups. We have clearly and repeatedly stated our position against illegal border crossings, which is a crime and carries many risks."

Ravni BG reminds us that humanitarian support for people in distress on Bulgarian territory "is not human trafficking, nor is it a crime." The statement points out that such claims come against the backdrop of criticism by these same organizations of the authorities for "human rights violations in border security, including cases of violence, denial of access to the territory, and asylum procedures."

The coalition views the case as part of a "consistent process of delegitimizing civil society in Bulgaria." According to the coalition, the aim of such statements by representatives of the authorities is to stifle any criticism and independent civil control, replacing it with "suspicion, fear, extrajudicial repression, and suppression of freedom of speech."