site.btaAhmed Dogan Faction in MRF Complains that State Institutions Are Used in "Brazen Intimidation" Campaign

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) faction supporting the party's Honorary Chair Ahmed Dogan, complained Friday of a "brazen intimidation" campaign against them, involving state institutions. "The acts where state institutions are being used for intimidation and pressure get ever more brazen," Timur Halilov MP said at a news conference. He said that pressure and intimidation is aimed against MRF members who have remained loyal to Dogan.

"The alerts we get from all over the country in the past weeks multiply, and we see this as pressure during an election campaign," he said. 

He mentioned two cases: the arrest of the chairman of the MRF municipal campaign HQ in Kardjali, Ahmed Mollahasan, and a search in the offices and home of the long-serving mayor of Mineralni Bani, Myumyun Iskander. In the words of Halilov, both of these men "have said clearly that they won't back Delyan Peevski".

Peevski is the rival leader of a split MRF.

Halilov said that the Haskovo Regional Governor is being used by Peevski to instill fear in people and that scores of employees in the Kardjali municipal administration have been laid off in what he sees an act of repression.

Halilov urged the MRF members and supporters not to succumb to fear "despite the pressure and repressions". 

MRF Chair Dzhevdet Chakarov urged the law enforcing and judicial authorities to look into the matter.  

He also said, "Once again, we call on the diplomatic corps to pay attention to what it happening in this country. It is not at all normal to see such repressions during an election campaign. It is inadmissible for a country that is a member of the EU and NATO."