site.bta Bulgarian Ombudsman Institution Puts Out Position Regarding List of Teachers Opposing "LGBTQ Propaganda Ban Law"

The Bulgarian Ombudsman institution Friday released a position in response to complaints submitted by members of the public and professional organizations who share concern over a social media post with a list of teachers who oppose a controversial "LGBT school propaganda ban law", as well as over offensive language and threats of harassment. Any action that creates conditions for the stigmatization and persecution of a group of people, discrimination, and hatred in society contravenes all leading international standards for the protection of human rights, which Bulgaria, as a state governed by the rule of law, has undertook to uphold, the position reads.

Using a list of names and jobs of people who publicly maintain a stance on important societal issues and calling for them to be lynched violates fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Bulgarian Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and other instruments for the protection of human rights, the position further states.

The right to express an opinion as protected under Article 39 of Bulgaria’s Constitution must not be exercised in order to infringe upon the rights and reputation of another, incite enmity, or instigate violence against the person, the statement added.

Emphasis is placed on the need for official institutions and organizations to respect and guarantee human dignity and the right to freely express one's position and defend one's personal opinion, especially with regard to issues of public importance.

Respect for human dignity, freedom of expression, and equality before the law are the foundations of any state governed by the rule of law and the building of a just democratic society, the position concludes.

On Thursday, the Varna District Prosecution Office said they were looking into the matter after the Vazrazhdane party made public the names of teachers in the Black Sea city of Varna, who had signed a petition against "the LGBTQ propaganda ban". The Prosecution Office spokesperson, Radoslav Lazarov, said that their action was prompted by media reports and that a case file has been opened.

On August 7, as it amended the Pre-School and School Education Act, Parliament set in place a ban on "the propaganda, promotion of, or incitement in any way in the education system of ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or the definition of gender identity other than biological".