We are writing to express our profound concern about the possible eviction of Roma inhabitants in the Batalova Vodenitsa neighborhood of Sofia. We have learned from a colleague organization that approximately 180 inhabitants from this area risk imminent eviction, and the demolition of their homes. We understand that eviction orders issued by your office in 2005 were upheld by the Supreme Administrative Court in 2006.

Bulgaria must deny Turkmenistan’s extradition request for Annadurdy Khajiev, a Turkmen dissident, and release him from detention immediately, Human Rights Watch said today.

We are writing today to ask for your support on behalf of Annadurdy Khajiev, a Turkmen refugee who was granted humanitarian status in Bulgaria in 2004 and who is currently at risk of extradition to Turkmenistan. We strongly believe that this case needs your urgent attention and intervention and that because of Germany’s presidency of the European Union you are well-positioned to raise this case with the Bulgarian government.

We are writing to you as a matter of urgency to ask that Bulgaria decline a request made by the government of Turkmenistan for the extradition of Annadurdy Khajiev, a dual citizen of Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation, who was granted humanitarian status in Bulgaria on March 10, 2004. We are convinced that upon return to Turkmenistan Mr. Khajiev would face persecution due to his political affiliations and activities and would face an almost certain risk of torture or other ill-treatment in custody. We also urge you to release Mr. Khajiev from detention immediately.

The European Union (EU) should continue to press candidate countries in Central and Eastern Europe to improve arms trade controls, Human Rights Watch said today. Tomorrow, the EU is expected to release the latest annual reports assessing the progress of individual candidates toward accession. These will help pave the way for final decisions, expected later this year, on the next round of EU enlargement.

Anticipated legal reforms in Bulgaria mark an important step toward improved control over the arms trade, Human Rights Watch and the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee said today. The Bulgarian parliament is expected to vote shortly to adopt changes to the country's law on the foreign trade in weapons.

As you know, the government has introduced legislation to amend the 1995 Law on the Control of Foreign Trade Activity in Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies. We understand that this legislation has passed first reading and is expected to be approved by the parliamentary foreign policy commission as early as this week. We are told that the second reading and possible adoption of the legislation may take place in mid-July.

Human Rights Watch writes to E.U. foreign ministers urging them to incorporate measures to improve arms trade controls across Europe into the E.U.'s anti-terrorism strategy and assess arms trade practices, together with other political and security issues, when evaluating the progress of candidate countries toward E.U. accession.