- Title: Bulgaria top court to rule within two months on Australian's parole
- Date: 7th October 2019
- Summary: SOFIA, BULGARIA (OCTOBER 7, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF PALACE OF JUSTICE IN SOFIA LETTERING ON BUILDING JOURNALISTS WAITING OUTSIDE BUILDING PEOPLE WAITING TO GO INTO COURTROOM VARIOUS OF MEDIA CROWDING AROUND ENTRANCE TO COURTROOM WHERE HEARING ON CASE OF AUSTRALIAN MAN JOCK PALFREEMAN, WHO WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON ON PAROLE WHERE HE WAS SERVING A 20-YEAR-SENTENCE FOR MURDER (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) LAWYER SPECIALISING IN HUMAN RIGHTS CASES, NIKOLAY HADZHIGENOV, SAYING: "Regarding this hearing today, it is absolutely clear, that the court will terminate the case (will not accept appeal by Bulgarian prosecutor general to revoke Palfreeman's parole). The law and court practice clearly show that, and there is no room for doubt. The prosecutor general produced a political show for the masses again. On the other hand, this case is a big mess and an example of bad practice in law and a flawed trial." CARD WITH TRIAL NUMBER ON DOOR OF COURTROOM COURT OFFICER GUARDING DOOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER FOR JOCK PALFREEMAN, KALIN ANGELOV, ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALIST AND SAYING: AUDIO OF JOURNALIST ASKING: "When do you think Jock Palfreeman will be freed?" ANGELOV: "One million dollar question. I don't know. I don't know." JOURNALIST: "Have you had a chance to speak to Jock?" ANGELOV: "Oh yes of course." JOURNALIST: "How is he doing this morning?" ANGELOV: "He was very excited and wished me success." JOURNALIST: "Do you think he'll stay in that detention centre for the rest of his life?" ANGELOV: "Oh I hope not, I hope not. I hope that sometimes in the future we are going to release him, at the end." SUPPORTERS OF VMRO PARTY PROTESTING AGAINST PALFREEMAN'S RELEASE FROM PRISON VMRO SUPPORTERS HOLDING SIGNS SIGN READING (Bulgarian): "DO NOT LET MURDERER PALFREEMAN FREE!" VARIOUS OF PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) VMRO MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, ANGEL DZHAMBAZKI, SAYING: "I think it is not for the Helsinki Committee (Bulgarian human rights NGO) to decide whether a criminal murderer should go free. I think that the Helsinki Committee should be separated from the court, because it is motivated by grants and financed from an organisation abroad and it abuses the term 'human rights defender'. It defends criminals and murderers only." EXTERIOR OF BUSMANTSI DETENTION CENTRE WHERE PALFREEMAN IS BEING HELD BARBED WIRE FENCING ON CENTRE WALL SIGN ON GATE OF CENTRE VARIOUS OF BARBED WIRE FENCING ON WALLS BIRD PERCHING ON WIRE AND FLYING OFF
- Embargoed: 21st October 2019 13:51
- Keywords: Jock Palfreeman Australian granted parole from prison in Bulgaria Australian in immigration detention in Bulgaria Australian serving sentence for murder
- Location: SOFIA, BULGARIA
- City: SOFIA, BULGARIA
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001B03LQH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Bulgaria's highest appeals court said on Monday (October 7) it would rule within two months on a panel's decision to grant parole to an Australian convicted of murder.
Jock Palfreeman has served 11 years of a 20-year sentence since being found guilty of murder and attempted murder in the stabbing of two Bulgarian youths, one of whom died, during a street melee in 2007.
The 32-year-old, who was serving in the British army at the time of the incident, has said he acted in self-defence and was trying to protect a Roma being attacked by the Bulgarians.
Last month he was granted parole by a panel of three judges. However Bulgaria's chief prosecutor made an application to the country's highest court to have his parole revoked, arguing that two of the judges had a conflict of interest.
Human rights lawyer Nikolay Hadzhigenov said he thought the court was likely not to accept the application and said the prosecutor general had "produced a political show".
The case has sparked a rising tide of political anger, with nationalist political parties have organising demonstrations in the capital Sofia against his release.
While the hearing was taking place, a protest by the nationalist VMRO party took place outside the court.
Angel Dzhambaki, a VMRO member of the European parliament, said he thought Palfreeman's release had been organised by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights NGO.
The chief prosecutor's application alleged that judges on the panel that released Palfreeman had links with the Helsinki Committee that constituted a conflict of interest.
Since being granted parole, Palfreeman has been transferred from prison to an immigration detention centre.
Bulgaria's interior ministry says prosecutors have ordered that he not leave the country, and he must be held because he lacks valid identification documents. Australia says it has issued him emergency travel papers and he should be permitted to go home.
(Production: Miroslav Roussinov, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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