International groups urge Bulgarian government to strengthen animal cruelty laws after shocking videos surfaced.
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An international animal protection organization, OIPA, contacted the Bulgarian government after receiving reports of videos showing animal cruelty circulating online. The organization stated that the suspects were arrested on charges including money laundering, organized crime, and animal cruelty, noting the videos depicted animals being tortured and killed for profit, possibly related to fetishistic practices. The cruelty involved various animals, including cats, pigs, dogs, and mice, through methods like strangulation, vehicle traffic, beating, and electric shocks. OIPA urged the Bulgarian Minister of Justice to better protect animals and increase penalties for mistreatment. Following the public exposure of the cruelty, protests erupted in major Bulgarian cities, with citizens demanding stricter accountability, real imprisonment, and legislative changes. A petition signed by nearly 200,000 residents calls for maximum prison sentences and tougher laws. Over 160 organizations have also called for immediate action. The Minister of Justice proposed criminalizing the filming and distribution of animal cruelty videos and suggested increasing penalties from the current maximum of three years to two to eight years imprisonment, and fines from 5,000 levs to 10,000 levs. A Lithuanian animal protection activist commented that the situation highlights the need for stronger penalties, arguing that the severity of the punishment reflects societal values regarding animal suffering.
