Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev
Bulgaria has shared information with US authorities regarding a number of Bulgarian citizens in connection with the implementation of the global Magnitsky Act, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said after his visit to the United States.
Demerdzhiev explained that the data provided concerns individuals who may be involved in attempts to avoid sanctions or activities that could be considered criminal offenses under US law. He added that Bulgarian institutions are prepared to continue sharing information as part of efforts to make sanctions more effective.
“We have provided data on quite a few people, but we will provide data on even more, because we have understood that there is a serious interest in identifying people who are trying to evade sanctions or who are committing crimes not only on Bulgarian territory, but also activities that can be classified as federal crimes under US legislation,” the minister said.
He stressed that any decision to expand the Magnitsky sanctions list remains the responsibility of the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to him, the Bulgarian side can only provide relevant information, while the final decisions belong to American authorities.
