Taguhi Tovmasyan demands clarification from the RA MFA regarding  incidents at the Sofia airport

ArmInfo.Taguhi Tovmasyan, an independent member of the National Assembly of Armenia and former  chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on protection of human rights and public affairs, sent a letter to Ararat Mirzoyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, regarding the  discriminatory treatment of Armenian citizens at the airport in Sofia, Bulgaria.

 "People were imprisoned for several days in a room  with bars, sometimes not even being allowed to buy food. Citizens who  called me told me that Bulgarian border guards forced Armenian  tourists to wait for hours and then days at the airport (until the  next Sofia-Yerevan flight). There are reports that they were bullied,  treated rudely, were not even allowed to buy food (there are also  reports of violence), and some were banned from entering the country  altogether," Tovmasyan said in the release.

The MP emphasized that the Armenian citizens who were discriminated  against in Sofia had Schengen visas issued by the Bulgarian Embassy  in Armenia. This means that the citizens' entry into Sofia was legal,  but they were effectively prevented from entering the country.  "I  have requested the following clarifications from the Minister: What  actions did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of  Armenia take to protect and restore the rights of the citizens of  Armenian citizens? What explanations did Bulgaria's officials provide  regarding the incident?  Did the MFA address the issue of holding  accountable border guards who were engaged in unlawful behavior  towards Armenian citizens, and what response was received?" the  parliamentarian noted.  She also promised to publish the Ministry's  explanations on the issue.

Earlier, ArmInfo wrote in detail about the humiliating manner in  which Armenian citizens are treated upon arrival at the Bulgarian  airport, with many even being banned from entering the country.