Securitization of human rights in Bulgaria

The paper applies qualitative content analysis of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights against Bulgaria involving ethnic Macedonians to support the position that human rights of persons belonging to the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria are securitized and thus contributes to the existing literature on securitization. It analyses the judgements through the lenses of securitization theory and explains that Bulgarian authorities perceive and treat the associations and assemblies of ethnic Macedonians as a security threat. By interfering with their right to freedom of association and assembly, they deprive them of the opportunity to denounce the policy of Bulgaria to deny the existence of the Macedonian minority in the country, and thus to challenge the national narrative. These findings, as summarized in the conclusion, provide a useful basis for future research on how to desecuritize the issue.