The document mentions the beating and severe physical injuries inflicted on a Macedonian citizen who identifies himself as Bulgarian, as well as the closure of Bulgarian cultural clubs.
"The Minister of Justice closes the Bulgarian cultural clubs "Tsar Boris III" and "Ivan (Vanko) Mihailov", citing a law from 2022," the State Department report says.
"In February and on the recommendation of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, the Bitola prosecutor's office started a preliminary investigation of the club "Ivan (Vanko) Mihailov" on grounds of hate speech. The chairman of the club is accused of inciting ethnic and racial hatred and intolerance and spreading racism and xenophobia," the document said.
It also states that "two persons were charged with causing serious bodily harm to Hristiyan Pendikov, who identified himself as Bulgarian, on the basis of national and ethnic hatred." /BGNES
