Published on 21 July 2025
THIRD SECTION
Application no. 11201/25
Parashkeva Slavcheva ILIEVA and Others
against Bulgaria
lodged on 11 April 2025
communicated on 2 July 2025
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE
1. The application concerns the demolition of an illegally constructed Roma settlement in Zaharna Fabrika, a neighbourhood in Sofia. All 125 applicants (see the appended list) are of Roma ethnic origin and claim to have lived in the settlement. Forty-eight of the applicants are minors. Several suffer from various health conditions.
2. In 2016, the local building-control authority issued a demolition order for 143 dwellings citing the absence of construction permits, safety concerns, and health hazards. The order was addressed to the local municipality and four individuals in their capacity as landowners. The applicants were not duly notified of the demolition order, which was not appealed and became enforceable.
3. In 2017, the authorities partially enforced the order, demolishing thirty‑four constructions.
4. In October 2020, the Mayor of Sofia issued an order to remove the applicants’ address registration from the official register of permanent and current addresses. Following the removal, some of the applicants registered at alternative addresses but continued to reside in the settlement.
5. On 7 April 2025, a notice was published on the local municipality’s website announcing the planned demolition of the Roma settlement for 14 April 2025.
6. On 8 April 2025, fourteen residents of the settlement unsuccessfully tried to challenge the 2016 demolition order and to obtain a stay of its enforcement. The Sofia Administrative Court dismissed the claim, noting that the applicants were not the addressees of the order, had not demonstrated ownership or possession of the affected dwellings, and therefore lacked standing to challenge it. Their appeal is currently pending before the Supreme Administrative Court.
7. On 11 April 2025, the Court granted an interim measure requested by these fourteen applicants, instructing the Government not to proceed with the demolition of their dwellings and to provide information on alternative accommodation options.
8. Despite this, the dwellings of these applicants, along with the other constructions in the settlement, were demolished on 15 April 2025.
9. On 28 April 2025, the Court granted a second interim measure, ordering the authorities to offer to the fourteen applicants adequate alternative options for accommodation.
10. According to the applicants, following the demolition, some of them had to spend the night in tents, in a nearby church, or with relatives.
11. According to the most recent information submitted by the parties, some of the applicants covered by the Court’s interim measure have been placed in temporary accommodation centres, together with other families from the Roma settlement. Others have declined the offer of accommodation in such centres.
12. The applicants complain, under Article 3 of the Convention, about the manner in which the authorities carried out the demolition of their homes and the living conditions they had to endure afterwards. They further allege that the demolition disproportionately interfered with their rights under Article 8 of the Convention, taken alone and in conjunction with Article 14. In addition, they complain under Article 13 that they lacked effective remedies to protect their rights under Articles 3 and 8 of the Convention. Relying on Article 6 § 1, they assert that the national courts refused to properly examine their applications challenging the 2016 demolition order. Under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1, they complain of the destruction of their possessions. Finally, invoking Article 34 of the Convention, they complain of the authorities’ failure to comply with the Court’s interim measure of 11 April 2025.
QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES
1. Was the manner in which the authorities carried out the demolition of the applicants’ homes in breach of Article 3 of the Convention? Did the applicants exhaust all effective domestic remedies in respect of that complaint, as required by Article 35 § 1 of the Convention?
2. Were the applicants subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, in violation of Article 3 of the Convention, as a result of their living conditions following the demolition (see Hirtu and Others v. France, no. 24720/13, 14 May 2020)?
3. Was the demolition in breach of Article 8 of the Convention, alone or read in conjunction with Article 14? In particular, was it in accordance with the law and necessary in a democratic society to attain a legitimate aim (see Yordanova and Others v. Bulgaria, no. 25446/06, 24 April 2012; Winterstein and Others v. France, no. 27013/07, 17 October 2013, and Caldarar and Others v. Poland, no. 6142/16, 16 January 2025)?
4. Was the demolition of the applicants’ dwellings and their movable property in breach of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1?
5. Did the applicants have effective remedies in respect of the alleged breaches of their rights under Articles 3 and 8 of the Convention, as required by Article 13 of the Convention?
6. Were the applicants able to obtain effective access to a court in relation to the 2016 demolition order concerning their homes, as required by Article 6 § 1 of the Convention?
7. Did the State authorities comply with the interim measure indicated by the Court on 11 April 2025 under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court? If not, did the respondent Government thereby hinder the effective exercise of the applicants’ right of individual application, as guaranteed by Article 34 of the Convention (see Mamatkulov and Askarov v. Turkey [GC], nos. 46827/99 and 46951/99, §§ 128-29, ECHR 2005-I)?
APPENDIX
Application no. 11201/25
No.
Applicant’s Name
Year of birth
Nationality
Interim measure under Rule 39
1.
Parashkeva Slavcheva ILIEVA
1965
Bulgarian
YES
2.
Yordan Parvanov ALEKSANDROV
1972
Bulgarian
3.
Angel Kalinkov ANGELOV
2013
Bulgarian
4.
Borislav Dimitrinov ANGELOV
2002
Bulgarian
5.
Mariyan Kalinkov ANGELOV
2023
Bulgarian
6.
Dimitrina Angelova ANGELOVA
1975
Bulgarian
7.
Kalinka Angelova ANGELOVA
1992
Bulgarian
8.
Zeynep Kalinkova ANGELOVA
2012
Bulgarian
9.
Nikolay Argirov ARGIROV
1990
Bulgarian
10.
Anton Katev
ASENOV
1982
Bulgarian
YES
11.
Demcho Raynov ASENOV
1991
Bulgarian
12.
Dimitar Yankov ASENOV
1982
Bulgarian
13.
Lyuben Slavchev ASENOV
1973
Bulgarian
14.
Stefan Yankov ASENOV
1977
Bulgarian
15.
Radka Sasheva ASENOVA
2019
Bulgarian
16.
Rayna Yankova ASENOVA
1972
Bulgarian
17.
Rositsa Sasheva ASENOVA
2013
Bulgarian
18.
Zdravka Raynova ASENOVA
2011
Bulgarian
19.
Asen Sashkov BISEROV
1997
Bulgarian
YES
20.
Hristo Albenov BLAGOEV
2014
Bulgarian
21.
Stoyan Stefkov BLAGOEV
2005
Bulgarian
22.
Albena Stefanova BLAGOEVA
1998
Bulgarian
23.
Snezha Stefkova BLAGOEVA
2008
Bulgarian
24.
Stefka Biserova BLAGOEVA
1980
Bulgarian
25.
Stefka Stoyanova BLAGOEVA
2023
Bulgarian
26.
Angel Ivanov BORISOV
1955
Bulgarian
27.
Bobi Ankov
BORISOV
2010
Bulgarian
28.
Georgi Iliev
BORISOV
2020
Bulgarian
29.
Ilia Rositsev
BORISOV
2002
Bulgarian
30.
Sasho Ankov BORISOV
2008
Bulgarian
31.
Anka Boneva BORISOVA
1992
Bulgarian
YES
32.
Dimitrina Ankova BORISOVA
2015
Bulgarian
YES
33.
Kotse Kirilov DIMITROV
1977
Bulgarian
34.
Anka Raynova DIMITROVA
1973
Bulgarian
35.
Verka Veskova DINEVA
1972
Bulgarian
36.
Maya Rao
DRAZ
2024
Bulgarian
37.
Dimitar Zoev GEORGIEV
2018
Bulgarian
38.
Robert Zoev GEORGIEV
2023
Bulgarian
39.
Dimitrinka Ananieva GEORGIEVA
1988
Bulgarian
40.
Nadka Angelinova GEORGIEVA
2004
Bulgarian
41.
Zoya Trayankova GEORGIEVA
2003
Bulgarian
42.
Dimcho Snezhanov ICHEV
2010
Bulgarian
43.
Sasho Pepov
ICHEV
2017
Bulgarian
44.
Snezhana Dimitrova ICHEVA
1980
Bulgarian
45.
Zinka Dimitrova ICHEVA
1979
Bulgarian
46.
Aleksandra Nderim IDRIZI
2024
Bulgarian
47.
Ivan Hristov
ILIEV
1981
Bulgarian
48.
Petar Donkov
ILIEV
2017
Bulgarian
YES
49.
Slave Ankov
ILIEV
2001
Bulgarian
50.
Donka Hristova ILIEVA
1995
Bulgarian
YES
51.
Atanas Angelov IVANOV
1974
Bulgarian
52.
Atanas Stankov IVANOV
2022
Bulgarian
53.
Irina Elenova IVANOVA
1994
Bulgarian
54.
Stanka Georgieva IVANOVA
2003
Bulgarian
55.
Demo Yuseinov KALEEV
1955
Bulgarian
YES
56.
Blagoy Rumyanov KIRILOV
2017
Bulgarian
57.
Iliya Asenov
KIRILOV
1957
Bulgarian
58.
Plamen Asenov KIRILOV
1962
Bulgarian
59.
Anka Kateva KIRILOVA
1974
Bulgarian
60.
Borislava Rumyanova KIRILOVA
2022
Bulgarian
61.
Rumyana Atanasova KIRILOVA
2000
Bulgarian
62.
Tzvetelina Rumyanova KIRILOVA
2018
Bulgarian
63.
Zlatka Ankova KIRILOVA
1997
Bulgarian
64.
Metodi Nadev
KOLEV
2008
Bulgarian
65.
Nada Boyanova KOLEVA
1976
Bulgarian
66.
Milan Mitkov KOTSEV
1977
Bulgarian
67.
Rangel Ankov LAZAROV
2008
Bulgarian
68.
Anka Slavkova LAZAROVA
1980
Bulgarian
69.
Angel Naskov METODIEV
2013
Bulgarian
70.
David Naskov METODIEV
2018
Bulgarian
71.
Deyvid Naskov METODIEV
2018
Bulgarian
72.
Vasya Boykov METODIEV
1993
Bulgarian
73.
Kiril Silviev MIHAYLOV
2011
Bulgarian
74.
Mariyan Silviev MIHAYLOV
2016
Bulgarian
75.
Trayan Silviev MIHAYLOV
2015
Bulgarian
76.
Silvia Vasileva MIHAYLOVA
1997
Bulgarian
77.
Vasilka Ivova MITEVA
2006
Bulgarian
78.
Stanka Ivanova MLADENOVA
1986
Bulgarian
79.
Galya Dimitrova NAYDENOVA
1972
Bulgarian
80.
Angel Atanasov NOTEV
1994
Bulgarian
81.
Atanas Mitkov
NOTEV
1972
Bulgarian
82.
Nadya Traykova OGNYANOVA
1958
Bulgarian
83.
Paraskeva Traykova OGNYANOVA
1960
Bulgarian
YES
84.
Mario Ankov PARVANOV
2013
Bulgarian
85.
Trayko Ankov PARVANOV
2009
Bulgarian
86.
Anka Gosheva PARVANOVA
1987
Bulgarian
87.
Genoveva Ankova PARVANOVA
2007
Bulgarian
88.
Maria Petkova PETROVA
1970
Bulgarian
89.
Pancho Rumyanov PLAMENOV
2025
Bulgarian
90.
Rumyana Borisova PLAMENOVA
2005
Bulgarian
91.
Sasho Asenov SASHKOV
1997
Bulgarian
92.
Petya Mircheva SASHKOVA
1997
Bulgarian
93.
Asen Sashkov SHOPOV
1975
Bulgarian
94.
Boyko Simov SHOPOV
1991
Bulgarian
YES
95.
Stefan Boykov SHOPOV
2021
Bulgarian
YES
96.
Vasya Simov
SHOPOV
1988
Bulgarian
97.
Elena Boykova SHOPOVA
2011
Bulgarian
98.
Rositsa Ilieva SHOPOVA
1981
Bulgarian
99.
Snezha Boykova SHOPOVA
2014
Bulgarian
100.
Snezha Stefanova SHOPOVA
1968
Bulgarian
101.
Yavor Mohammad SIKDER
2020
Bulgarian
YES
102.
Asen Aneliev STEFANOV
1996
Bulgarian
103.
Dimitar Traykov STEFANOV
1988
Bulgarian
104.
Sergey Dimitrov STEFANOV
1975
Bulgarian
105.
David Ivanov STOIMENOV
2018
Bulgarian
106.
Ivan Violetov STOIMENOV
1995
Bulgarian
107.
Silvestar Petrov STOIMENOV
2011
Bulgarian
108.
Sotir Violetov STOIMENOV
2002
Bulgarian
109.
Angelina Violetova STOIMENOVA
1994
Bulgarian
110.
Katya Petrova STOIMENOVA
2009
Bulgarian
111.
Marta Angelinova STOIMENOVA
2019
Bulgarian
112.
Petra Silvieva STOIMENOVA
1982
Bulgarian
113.
Snezhana Velichkova STOIMENOVA
2000
Bulgarian
114.
Violeta Angelinova STOIMENOVA
2013
Bulgarian
115.
Violeta Georgieva STOIMENOVA
1975
Bulgarian
116.
Yana Ivanova STOIMENOVA
2023
Bulgarian
117.
Petar Rangelov SVETOSLAVOV
1972
Bulgarian
118.
Filka Slavkova TRAYKOVA
2003
Bulgarian
119.
Sevda Tsvetanova TRAYKOVA
1992
Bulgarian
120.
Valeriya Lyubchova YANEVA
2016
Bulgarian
121.
Zoya Yordanova YANEVA
1982
Bulgarian
122.
Angelina Lokova YANKOVA
2007
Bulgarian
123.
Ani Kirilova YANKOVA
1989
Bulgarian
124.
Beatris Bistrova YANKOVA
2019
Bulgarian
125.
Bistra Hristinova YANKOVA
2003
Bulgarian