Human Rights

When your rights are violated, it doesn’t feel like an abstract legal injustice. It feels like fear, helplessness, anger. Like the feeling that the system has left you alone. In these moments, you need not just a lawyer, but someone who believes in human dignity — and knows how to defend it.

Petkova Legal is among the few law firms in Bulgaria offering specialized legal protection of human rights, including before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The most frequently violated rights do not occur in television reports — they happen here, next to us, every day. And although they may seem like “small” violations, the consequences can be traumatic and long-lasting.

Consult a human rights lawyer if:

• You have been illegally detained by the police, prosecution, or court
• You have been denied the right to a lawyer or a fair trial
• You have suffered from police violence, inhumane treatment in detention or prison
• You have been placed under forced quarantine without legal grounds
• Your personal data has been used without your consent
• You are a victim of discrimination or sexual harassment
• Your rights to peaceful protest, expression of opinion, or freedom of movement have been violated

If you have already exhausted domestic remedies in Bulgaria and have not received justice — this is the time to seek representation before the Court in Strasbourg.

The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights is not just a document — it is a real tool for protection when the state fails. Among the most frequently violated rights our team deals with are:

• The right to liberty and security – including illegal detention and deprivation of liberty
• The right to a fair trial – in cases of accusations, disciplinary penalties, denial of protection
• The prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment – including in places of detention
• The right to private and family life – including privacy of correspondence, gender, and sexual orientation
• Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly – often violated during protests
• The right to property and free elections
• The right to effective legal protection

The “Silvia Petkova” law firm offers full legal support – from initial consultation, through filing a complaint with the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, to preparing complaints to the European Court and procedural representation in cases of significant public interest.

Our services include:

• Consultations on human rights violations and discrimination
• Complaints to the Commission for Protection against Discrimination and representation
• Claims for:
  • Establishing a violation
  • Stopping discriminatory actions
  • Compensation for non-material and material damages
• Representation before all judicial instances in Bulgaria and before the European Court of Human Rights
• Assistance for representatives of the LGBTI community, including:
  • Gender change through administrative procedure
  • Adoption in same-sex couples
  • Recognition of same-sex marriages
  • Protection from harassment and discrimination

Because for us, this is not just legal practice — it is a responsibility. Because we have defended people detained during peaceful protests. People placed under quarantine without grounds. Victims of police arbitrariness, bureaucratic pressure, institutional indifference.

And because we believe that everyone has the right not just to protection, but to dignified, professional, and uncompromising protection.

Has your right to a fair trial been violated? Do you feel invisible to the law? You are not alone. Contact us — we know how to protect you. In Sofia. In the country. And in Strasbourg.