site.btaBulgarian Justice Minister Tsacheva Attends High-level Conference on Prison Deradicalization

Luxembourg/Sofia, October 12 (BTA) - Justice Minister Tsetska Tsacheva attended a high-level conference in Luxembourg on programmes for rehabilitation and deradicalization in prisons, Tsacheva's Ministry said in a press release Friday.

At the forum Tsacheva said that no radicalization of prison inmates in Bulgaria is observed. No evidence exists  neither about successful attempts at radicalization nor ideological influence to encourage violence among inmates. She said that the low terrorist threat level in Bulgaria likewise indicates a low extent of radicalization of the population as a whole. However, things can change any time, so that workable mechanisms for cooperation, dialogue, exchange of information and coordination at national and international level are needed, Tsacheva said.

She next spoke about a special module in the training of prison staff where wardens are taught how to spot, manage and prevent radicalization.

Tsacheva said that the Bulgarian penitentiary system does not apply programmes for giving up on a radical ideology or behaviour by inmates. The efforts are rather focused on
preventive measures, she said. 

In Luxembourg Tsacheva conferred with the President of the European Court of Justice, Koen Lenaerts. The talks were also attended by the Bulgarian judges in the Court, Alexander Arabadjiev, Alexander Kornezov, and Mariana Kuncheva. The participants in the talks discussed decisions of the European Court of Justice applied in the work of the Bulgarian courts, and topics on cooperation. RY/ZH//