Bulgarian citizen sentenced to 2 years in prison for burning Greek flag in Gümülcine
Western Thrace
Sat, 12 Jul 2025 9:07 GMT
The Gümülcine Single-Member Misdemeanor Court sentenced a 26-year-old Bulgarian national to two years in prison on Wednesday, July 9, for removing and burning a Greek flag in a public area.
The incident took place in Irinis (Peace) Square, in front of the Citizens’ Service Center (KEP) in downtown Gümülcine. The young man, who resides in a village in the Rhodope region, reportedly took down the Greek flag and set it on fire in full public view.
Eyewitnesses immediately alerted the police, who quickly arrived on the scene and took the suspect into custody. After spending the night at the police station, the individual was brought before judicial authorities.
The court found him guilty of “insulting the symbols of the Greek state”, sentencing him to the maximum penalty provided by the current Penal Code for such an offense.
