Bulgarian Man Charged For Detaining Migrants Cheered As A Hero While Appearing In Court

Chris Menahan
InformationLiberation
Apr. 24, 2016

A Bulgarian man many hail as a hero for detaining three Afghan migrants trying to illegally enter his country was cheered by a large crowd while being hauled into court for a hearing related to his ongoing house arrest.

Petar Nizamov was charged for "illegally detaining" three migrants after video he released of the detention went viral and internationalist NGOs pressured the Bulgarian government to punish him.

Despite Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov saying earlier he welcomed such patrols, the government changed its tune after the migrants claimed they were mistreated.

Nizamov now faces up to six years in prison for three counts of "illegal deprivation of liberty."

All vigilante patrols have since been ordered to cease their "illegal" detentions and citizen's arrests and instead act only as reconnaissance groups for the government.

Loose translation via YouTuber TheAvidaEuros [slightly cleaned for formatting/spelling]:

Reporter "Do you want to say something?"

The Patriot: "I want to say that we are catching them and they/police/ are registering them...that we are catching them and they/police/ are releasing them....

The police want to try me look like a thief....I have enough money and I do work really hard so I do not need to rob the immigrants...

I have spent more than enough money to buy equipment, to organize protests against the immigrants...

Every week in Burgas /sorta of big town/ there were protests but according to the court I've catching refugees for money ??!! In order to take their pocket money ???!! Those criminals!!

I am ashamed and very offended to be incriminated exactly for this!!

I am doing only for Bulgaria and I am counting to doing it only for Bulgaria!!

I had spent far enough money buying a jeep to go to the border so I definitely don't need their pocket money...

It is ridiculous some people to claim that I've searching for some profit..In contrary I have far bigger loss."

Nizamov is a member of the Organisation for the Protection of Bulgarian Citizens, which is a small vigilante group of "Migrant Hunters" who patrol Bulgaria's border with Turkey.

The group made headlines earlier this month for capturing 23 Afghan migrants attempting to illegally enter their country.

Despite the government's threats, OPBC say they're going to continue their patrols.

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