The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights (BLHR) foundation Tuesday called on the prosecution service to investigate whether the recent drone strikes on merchant ships in the Black Sea constitute war crimes. According to the two organizations, the Bulgarian authorities have the right to do so as well as access to key evidence.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the BLHR have submitted a joint alert to the Supreme Prosecution Office of Cassation demanding the immediate launch of pre-trial proceedings for possible war crimes under Chapter 14 of the Penal Code. The alert is related to the October 6 and 13 drone strikes in the Black Sea that sank merchant ships, caused fires, and led to the injury and disappearance of seafarers.
The two organizations note that despite the strikes being carried out outside of Bulgaria’s territorial sea, the Bulgarian prosecution service has the right and obligation to open criminal proceedings based on the universal jurisdiction for criminal investigation. This principle allows the investigation of grave international crimes and crimes against peace and humanity regardless of the place where the crime has been committed or the nationality of the perpetrators and victims.
Furthermore, the proximity of the events to the Bulgarian coast, the involvement of Bulgarian rescue services and naval forces, as well as the fact that injured and surviving seafarers are located on Bulgarian territory, provide Bulgarian investigative authorities with direct and timely access to key evidence, witness testimony, and medical records, the two organizations argue.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the BLHR urge the prosecution service not to delay its actions. The lack of a definitively established identity of the perpetrators or the expectation of international technical assistance are not grounds for refusing to initiate criminal proceedings. Any delay carries a serious risk of losing valuable evidence.
The human rights organizations recall that international humanitarian law and the rules of naval warfare strictly prohibit deliberate and disproportionate attacks against civilian targets and merchant ships.
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Bulgarian Human Rights Lawyers Call for Investigation into Possible War Crimes in Black Sea 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-13 14:27:06
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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-10-13 14:27:06