Traditionally Bulgarian authorities take additional security measures on the eve of each summer tourist season, thus taking care of their guests’ safety. One can spot this year that the seriousness of these measures somehow exceeds what’s usual.

Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova promised to ambassadors of states with the greatest number of tourists here to mobilize extra power force on previous years. The number of police officers sent to the Black Sea region only will come up to 730 and besides street cops investigation officers, operatives and other experts will also see their reinforcement. The ministry of tourism also promises additional security measures, including the opening of a hot 24/7 phone line.

One day before her conversation with the diplomats the Minister of the Interior proclaimed in parliament a drastic tightening of any security measures at the airports in Sofia, Varna and Burgas. This thing has its obvious relation with the warning of the US Department of State on possible terrorist threats across Europe over the summer. It is not coincidence that its implementation will involve not only police officers, but also teams from the anti-terrorist squad, gendarmerie and border police. Similar measures were taken so far only whenever foreign delegations visited the country, on Israeli flights and after the assaults in Europe.

The warning of the US Department of State is related not only to tourist sites, but also to spots for public events, restaurants, trade centers and the public transport. That is why we can expect to see those safety precautions spreading over such objects as well, in order for a broader improved security perimeter to be guaranteed. Some observers also presume that the measures will be prolonged after the season’s end as well. There are indications that this year the measures are part of a larger action. One of those indications was the adoption of changes by the cabinet in the List of Persons and Companies, Groups and Organizations, Subject to Measures under the Anti-Terrorist Act right before the proclaiming of the summer season safety measures. The amendments rule that not only persons, funding or carrying out terrorist actions will be subject of criminal procecution, but also ones who recruit or train terrorists, or cross or live illegally on Bulgarian territory with the purpose of terrorist actions. Following the proposal of the prosecutor general a new section has been added to the list, aimed at persons with sufficient data collected on them, linked to terrorism or its funding. The new section lists the names of El Hajj Hassan and Farah Meliad – the alleged doers of the Burgas Airport bomb assault in 2012, when 5 Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver were killed. The authorities’ measures show not only their engagement to guarantee safety to citizens, but also their strong determination to persecute and punish those, who dare to cross the line.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev