BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part one. GENERAL RULES

Chapter seven. ACCUSED

Section II. Restraining Measure and Other Measures of Procedural Compulsion

Art. 56. (1) To the accused a restraining measure may be taken in case of general nature, where from the evidence on the case a reasoned assumption that he/she has committed the crime and a ground under Art. 57 appear.

(2) Where the accusation is brought under the conditions of Art. 269, Para 3, items 2 and 3, a restraining measure shall be taken after the inquiry of the accused.

(3) At determination of the restraining measures, the degree of social danger of the crime, the evidence against the accused, the health status, family status, the profession, the age and other data about the accused shall be taken in view.


Art. 57. The restraining measures shall be taken with the purpose to stop the accused to abscond, to commit a crime or to foil the execution of the entered in force sentence.

BULGARIA - PENAL PROCEDURE CODE

Part one. GENERAL RULES

Chapter seven. ACCUSED

Section II. Restraining Measure and Other Measures of Procedural Compulsion

Art. 63. (1) The restraining measure detention in custody shall be taken when a grounded assumption that the accused has commuted a crime, which is punishable with imprisonment or other stricter punishment, and the evidence on the case indicate that a real danger that the accused may abscond or commit a crime exists.

(2) Should the opposite not be found from the evidence under the case, the danger under Para 1 shall be there upon the initial disposition of detention in custody, when:

1. 1. The charge is for an offence committed repeatedly or under the conditions of a dangerous recidivism;

2. The charge is for a grave malicious crime and the accused has been convicted for another grave malicious crime of general nature to imprisonment of no less than one year or to another more severe punishment, the execution of which has not been delayed on the grounds of Art. 66 of the Penal Code;

3. the person has been involved as accused in a crime for which a punishment of at lest 10 years imprisonment or other more severe punishment is provided .

(3) Where the danger that the accused may abscond or commit another crime is over, the detention in custody shall be replaced by a lighter restraining measure or shall be cancelled.

(4) The detention in custody in the pre-trial proceeding shall not last for more than one year, if the charge is for a major malicious crime and for more than two years, if the charge is for a crime for which a punishment of not less than fifteen years of imprisonment or life imprisonment is provided. In all the rest of the cases, the detention in custody in the pre-trial proceeding shall not last for more than two months.

(5) After the expiration of the terms referred to in Para 4, the detained shall be released without delay by order of the prosecutor.

(6) Where in the pre-trial procedure is found that the grounds of Para 3 present, the prosecutor by his/her initiative shall change the restraining measure detainment in custody into a lighter or shall cancel it.

(7) About the detainment in custody immediately shall be notified:

1. the family of the accused;

2. the employer of the accused, except the accused declares that he/she does not want this;

3. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if the detained is a foreign citizen.

(8) The detainee’s children, if they have no relatives to nurse them, shall be accommodated through the respective community or municipality in a nursery, a kindergarten or a boarding school.

Art. 64. (1) (1) Detention in custody in the pre-trial procedure shall be ordered by the respective court of first instance on a motion of the prosecutor.

(2) The appearance of the accused before the court shall be ensured without delay by the prosecutor, who where necessary, may order that the accused be detained up to 72 hours for bringing him/her before the court.

(3) The court shall hear the case immediately in a sitting of a single judge with the participation of the prosecutor, the accused and his/her counsel.

(4) The court shall take restraining measure detainment in custody, where the grounds of Art. 63, Para 1 appear, and if these grounds do not appear, the court is allowed not to take restraining measure or to take a lighter one.

(5) The court shall rule a definition, by which shall be announced to the parties in the court hearing and shall be executed immediately. By ruling the definition the court shall set down the case for hearing before the appellate court within a period of not more than seven days, in case of an appeal or an objection.

(6) The definition shall be subject to appeal and objection before the appropriate appellate court within three-day time period.

(7) The appellate court shall try the case in a composition of three judges in open session with the participation of the prosecutor, the accused and his or her counsel. The non-appearance of the accused without good reasons shall not prevent the hearing of the case.

(8) The appellate court shall rule a definition, which shall be announced to the parties in the court hearing. The definition shall not be a subject to appeal by private complaint or private objection.

(9) Where guarantee has been imposed by virtue of the effective definition, the accused shall be detained after depositing it.

Art. 65. (1) The accused or his/her defender may at any time in the pre-trial procedure to require change of the imposed measure detainment in custody.

(2) The motion of the accused or his/her defender shall be brought through the prosecutor who shall be obliged to forward immediately the case to the court.

(3) The case shall be set down for hearing within three-days period following its receipt into the court and shall be heard in open session with the participation of the prosecutor, the accused and his/her defender. The case shall be tried in the absence of the accused, if he/she states that he/she does not want to appear or his/her bringing before the court is impossible for health reasons.

(4) The court shall assess all circumstances relating to the legality of the detention and shall rule a definition, which shall be announced to the parties at the court session. With the announcement of the order the court shall set down the case for hearing before the appellate court in case of an appeal or an objection within a period of not more than seven days

(5) The definition shall be executed immediately following the expiration of the term for appeal except if an objection, which is not in the accused’s interest, has been filed.

(6) When the motion has been brought by the accused or by his/ her defender and the definition under Para 4 confirms the restraining measure, the court may set a time period in which a new motion by the same persons shall be inadmissible. Such period shall not exceed two months following the entry into force of the definition and shall not be applied when the motion is grounded on a sudden decline of the accused’s state of health.

(7) The definition shall be subject to appeal by a private complaint and a private protest before the appropriate appellate court within three-days period.

(8) The appellate court shall try the case in a body of three judges in open session with the participation of the prosecutor, the accused and his/her defender. The case shall be tried in the absence of the accused, where he/she states that he/she does not want to appear or his/ her bringing to court is impossible for health reasons.

(9) The appellate court shall rule a definition, which shall announce to the parties in the court session. The definition shall not be a subject to appeal by a private complaint or private protest.

(10) Where by virtue of the effective definition a guarantee has been imposed, the accused shall be detained until depositing it.

(11) Para 1- 10 shall also apply in the cases, where the accused has been detained because of non-payment of the guarantee determined by the court.