Bulgaria breached the human rights of dozens of Roma families in Sofia by demolishing their homes without giving them a chance to contest the decision, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday. The government must pay 10,000 euro in damages to each party to the case and reform its demolition procedures. The demolition took place in Sofia’s Orlandovtsi neighbourhood in August 2023, despite residents insisting that the authorities had not consulted them over the plans. Some of the families said they had lived in their homes since the 1950s.
The court ruled that Bulgaria had violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects family life and homes. It found that residents had no effective procedure to challenge the plans for demolition based on their personal circumstances, including length of residence, vulnerability and the availability of alternative housing. The court also ruled, however, that the residents held no property rights in the demolished houses that would be recognized under Bulgarian law.
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