BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part one. GENERAL RULES

Chapter one. TASKS AND LIMITS OF EFFECT


Art 2. (2) The Penal Procedure Code shall also apply in the cases of performing court orders of another country, placed by virtue of an agreement or under the terms of reciprocity.

BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part two. EVIDENCING

Chapter fourteen. METHODS OF EVIDENCING

Section V. Search and Seizure

Art. 159. On a request of the court or of the bodies of the pre-trial procedures, all establishments, juridical persons, officials and citizens shall be obliged to preserve and deliver the objects, papers, computer information data, the carriers of such data and data about the subscriber, which are in their possession and may be of importance for the case.

Art. 160. (1) Where there is sufficient grounds to presume that in a room or person there are objects, papers or computer information systems, containing computer information data, which may be of importance to the case, a search shall be made for finding and seizing them.

(2) A search may also be made with the purpose of tracing down a person or a dead body.

Art. 161. (1) Search and seizure in the pre-trial procedures shall be carried out with the permission of a judge of the respective court of first instance or of a judge of the court of first instance where the action shall be performed, upon request of the prosecutor.

(2) In urgent cases, where this is the only possibility for the gathering and preservation of the evidence, the bodies of the pre-trial procedures may carry out a search and seizure even without a permission of a judge of the respective court of first instance or of a judge of the nearest court of equal rank. The record of the carried out investigation proceeding shall be presented for approval to the judge without delay but not later than 24 hours.

(3) Search and seizure in the pre-trial procedures shall be carried out on a decision of the court, which is trying the case.

Art. 162. (1) Search and seizure shall be conducted in the presence of witnesses of the act and of the person using the premises or of an adult member of his/her family.

(2) Where the person using the premises or a member of his/her family is unable to attend, the search and seizure shall be conducted in the presence of the chief of the block of flats or a representative of the municipality or the town hall.

(3) The search and seizure in premises, which are used by state or public services, shall be conducted in the presence of a representative of the service.

(4) Search and seizure in premises used by a legal person, shall be carried out in the presence of its representative. Where a representative of the legal person is not able to present, the search and seizure shall be carried out of a representative of the municipality or of the town hall.

(5) Search and seizure in premises of foreign representations of international organisations and in houses of their employees, which enjoy immunity with regard to the criminal jurisdiction of the Republic of Bulgaria shall be conducted with the consent of the chief of the representation office and in the presence of a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

(6) Whereas the search and seizure are related to computer information systems and software products, the actions shall be carried out in the presence of an expert- technical assistant.

Art. 163. (1) Search and seizure shall be performed during the day, except if they brook no delay.

(2) Before commencement of search and seizure, the respective body shall submit the warrant thereof and shall propose to be shown the searched objects, papers and computer information systems, where are kept computer information data.

(3) The body conducting the search shall be entitled to prohibit the persons present to come into contact with other persons or between or among themselves and to leave the premises until the search is over.

(4) During search and seizure shall not be carried out any actions, which are not necessary for the purpose thereof. Premises and depositories shall be opened by force only in case of refusal to be opened avoiding unnecessary damages.

(5) When circumstances regarding the private life of the citizens have been disclosed during the search, the necessary measures shall be taken that they are not made public .

(6) The seized objects, papers and computer information systems which contain computer information data shall be submitted to the witnesses of the procedural actions and the other persons present. Whereas necessary, they shall be packed and sealed at the place of seizure.

(7) The seizure of computer information data shall be carried out by record on a paper carrier and another carrier. Whereas the carrier is a paper one, each of the pages shall be signed by the persons under Art. 132, Para 1. In the rest of the cases the carrier shall be sealed by a note, where shall be stated: the case, the body which has carried out the seizure, the place, the date and the names of all of the persons presented as per Art. 132, Para 1 and who shall sign it.

(8) Printing of the carrier, made out under the order of Para 7, shall be admitted for the necessities of the investigation only and with the permission of the prosecutor and shall be performed in the presence of witnesses of procedural actions and of an expert-technical assistant.

Art. 164. (1) Search of a person in the pre-trial procedure without a warrant by a judge of the respective court of firs instance shall be admitted:

1. upon detention;

2. where there are sufficient grounds to consider that persons attending the search have screened objects or papers of significance for the case.

(2) The search shall be conducted by a person of the same sex in the presence of witnesses of the same sex.

(3)The record of the conducted investigation action shall be produced to the judge for approval without delay but not later than within 24 hours.

Art. 165. (1) Interception and seizure of correspondence shall be allowed only when it is necessary for the detection and prevention of serious crimes.

(2) Interception and seizure of correspondence in the pre-trial procedure shall be performed upon request of the prosecutor and with the permission of a judge of the respective court of first instance or of the first-instance court in the district where the action shall be performed.

(3) Interception and seizure of correspondence in the court proceeding shall be performed on a decision of the court trying the case.

(4) Interception and seizure of correspondence shall be performed under the order of Art. 162. Para 1- 4.

(5) The provisions of Para 1 – 4 shall be also applied to interception and seizure of electronic mail.

BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part two. EVIDENCING

Chapter thirty six. PROCEDURES IN CONNECTION WITH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON PENAL CASES

Section 1 Transfer of Convicted Persons

Art. 453. (1) The transfer of persons convicted by a court of the Republic of Bulgaria, for serving the punishment in the state whose citizens they are, and the transfer of Bulgarian citizens convicted by a foreign court, for serving the punishment in the Republic of Bulgaria, shall be decided by the Chief Prosecutor under an agreement with the competent authority of the other state, in the presence of consent in writing from the convicted person.

(2) The decision for the transfer of the convicted person may also be made after the execution of the punishment has started.

BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part two. EVIDENCING

Chapter thirty six. PROCEDURES IN CONNECTION WITH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON PENAL CASES

Section 1 Transfer of Convicted Persons

Art. 454. (1) The consent of a Bulgarian citizen convicted by a foreign court or of a foreign citizen convicted by a Bulgarian court shall not be required for the transfer when:

1. the sentence or the subsequent administrative decision of the state, which has convicted the person, includes an order for expulsion (deportation) or another act under which the person, after his/her release from the place of imprisonment, cannot stay in the territory of the state, which has convicted him/her;

2. before serving the sentence, the convicted person has fled from the state, which has convicted him/her, to the territory of the state whose citizen he/she is.

(2) In the cases under Para 1, item 1, before enacting the decision for transfer, the opinion of the convicted person shall be taken into consideration.

Art. 455. The place, time and procedure for transmitting and receiving the convicted person shall be determined by agreement between the chief prosecutor and the competent authority of the other state.

BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part two. EVIDENCING

Chapter thirty six. PROCEDURES IN CONNECTION WITH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON PENAL CASES

Section III. International Legal Assistance in Penal Cases

International Legal Assistance in Penal Cases

Art. 471. (1) International legal assistance in penal cases of another state shall be rendered on the terms of a concluded international treaty to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, or on the principle of mutuality. International legal assistance in penal cases shall also be rendered to an international court of justice whose jurisdiction has been recognised by the Republic of Bulgaria.

(2) The international legal assistance shall include:

1. submission of documents;

2. investigation actions;

3. collection of evidence;

4. providing information;

5. other forms of legal assistance if they are stipulated in an international treaty to which the Republic
of Bulgaria is a party, or are imposed on the terms of mutuality .

Art. 472. The international legal assistance may be refused if the granting of the request could endanger the sovereignty, national security, public order or other interests protected by law.

Art. 473. (1) The appearance of a witness and an expert before foreign court authorities shall only be allowed if assurance is given that the summoned persons, irrespective of their citizenship, would not bear criminal liability for acts committed prior to summoning them. In the event of a refusal to appear, no coercive measures may be applied to them.

(2) Turning over persons detained in custody, in order to be interrogated as witnesses or experts, shall only be allowed in exceptional cases at the discretion of the respective district court on the grounds of papers submitted by the other state or the international court of justice, provided that the person gives his/her consent for being turned over and provided that his/her stay in the other state will not extend the term of his/her detention in custody .

Art. 474. (1) A court authority of another state may carry out through a video conference or a telephone conference the interrogation of a person who is a witness or an expert in penal procedure and is in the Republic of Bulgaria, when this is stipulated in an international treaty to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party. An interrogation through video conference with the participation of a defendant may only be carried out with his/her consent and after the participating Bulgarian court authorities and the court authorities of the other state have agreed on the manner of holding the video conference. An interrogation through video conference or telephone conference may only be carried out if this does not contradict basic principles of the Bulgarian law.

(2) The request for interrogation from the court authority of the other state shall contain:

1. the reason for which the appearance of the person himself/herself is undesirable or impossible;

2. the name of the court authority of the other state;

3. the data of the persons who will carry out the interrogation;

4. the consent of the person who will be interrogated as a witness or an expert through a telephone conference;

5. the consent of the defendant who will participate in a hearing for interrogation through a video conference.

(3) The Bulgarian competent authorities in penal procedure shall execute requests for interrogation through video conference or telephone conference. For the needs of a pre-trial procedure, a request for interrogation through video conference or telephone conference shall be executed by the National Investigation Service. For the needs of a court procedure, a request for interrogation through telephone conference shall be executed by a court of equal degree at the place of residence of the person, and for interrogation through video conference – by the court of appeal at the place of residence of the person. The competent Bulgarian authority may require the requesting state to ensure the technical means of interrogation.

(4) The interrogation shall be held directly by the court authority of the requesting state or under its direction in accordance with its legislation.

(5) Prior to the interrogation, the Bulgarian competent authority shall establish the identity of the person who is to be interrogated. After the interrogation, a protocol shall be drawn up, reflecting:

1. the date and place of holding it;

2. the data of the interrogated person and his/her consent, should this be required;

3. the data of the persons participating from the Bulgarian side;

4. the fulfillment of other terms accepted by the Bulgarian side.

(6) A person who is abroad may be interrogated by a competent Bulgarian authority or under its direction through video conference or telephone conference, when the legislation of the other state allows this. The interrogation shall be carried out in accordance with the Bulgarian legislation and the provisions of the international treaties to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, regulating the said means of interrogation.

(7) Interrogation through video conference or telephone conference under Para 6 in the pre-trial procedure shall be carried out by an investigator from the National Investigation Service, and in the court procedure – by the court.

(8) The provisions of Paras 1 - 5 shall also be applied respectively to the interrogation of the persons under Para 6.

Art. 475. (1) The order for international legal assistance shall contain data of: the authority addressing it; the subject and motive of the request; the names and citizenship of the person to whom the request refers; the name and address of the person to whom the papers are to be handed over; if necessary – the indictment and a brief statement of the its facts.

(2) The order for international legal assistance shall be sent to the Ministry of Justice unless an international treaty to which Bulgaria is a party stipulates another procedure.

Art. 476. (1) The order for international legal assistance shall be executed under the procedure stipulated in the Bulgarian laws, or under a procedure stipulated in an international treaty to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party. The order may also be executed under the procedure stipulated in the law of the other state or the statutes of the international court of justice, provided that this has been requested and does not contradict the Bulgarian laws. The other state or the international court of justice shall be informed about the time and place of execution of the order, if this is requested.

(2) The request for legal assistance and all the other notices from the competent authorities of another state, sent and received by facsimile and electronic mail, shall be received and executed by the Bulgarian competent authorities under the same procedure as those sent by ordinary mail. The Bulgarian authorities may ask for verification of the authenticity of the sent materials and may receive the originals by express mail.

(3) The Supreme Cassation Prosecution shall establish together with other states joint investigation teams in which Bulgarian prosecutors and investigation authorities shall participate. An agreement shall be concluded with the competent authorities of the participating states about the activities, term and composition of the joint investigation team. In the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria the joint investigation team shall observe the provisions of the international treaties, the terms of the agreement and the Bulgarian legislation.

(4) The Supreme Cassation Prosecution shall file requests to other states for investigation through an undercover officer, through controlled delivery and cross-boundary observation, and shall pronounce itself on such requests from other states.

(5) On the terms of mutuality, the foreign authority carrying out an investigation through an undercover officer in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria may collect evidence in accordance with its national legislation.

(6) In urgent cases of crossing the state boundary for cross-boundary observation in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Supreme Cassation Prosecution shall be informed immediately. It shall adopt a decision for the continuation or termination of the cross-boundary observation on the terms and under the procedure of the Special Intelligence Devices Act.

(7) The execution of requests from other states for controlled delivery and cross-boundary observation shall be carried out by the competent investigating authority. It may ask for assistance the police, customs and other administrative authorities.

Art. 477. The expenses for the execution of the order shall be distributed between the countries in accordance with the international treaties to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, or on the principle of mutuality.