site.btaDRF MPs Complain of Administrative Repression against Members, Supporters of "Authentic MRF"

MPs from the Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DRF) parliamentary group, whose members are loyal to former Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) honorary chair Ahmed Dogan, came out with a declaration that members and supporters of the "authentic Movement for Rights and Freedoms" (referring to themselves) and their family members have been subjected to systematic repression by state institutions.

DRF MP Sevim Ali said that the repressive actions of the Interior Ministry, Commission for Anti-Corruption, National Revenue Agency, the prosecuting magistracy and its subdivisions have intensified repeatedly during the October 27 election campaign. There have been vandal raids, physical violence with both human and material damage, he argued.

In his words, the list of threatened DRF activists is long and will be presented to the media. Ali added that over 250 people have been unfairly dismissed in different regions of the country. The DRF had submitted official inquiries to the state institutions about these cases but never received adequate replies, according to the declaration.

"On behalf of DRF, we categorically state our resolve that these repressions should not go unpunished, we will defend every single Bulgarian citizen, every single member or sympathizer of ours who has come under the blows of this 'dictatorial model of governance'," Ali stressed.

In July, the MRF split into two factions - one loyal to MRF founder and honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan and another led by Delyan Peevski. The faction loyal to Dogan ran in the October 27 parliamentary elections as the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF), a coalition registered by the Agrarian People's Union and the Just Bulgaria United Patriots. Peevski led the MRF-New Beginning and won 30 seats in the elections, while the ARF won 19 seats.