Bulgaria: Prosecutors open probe into ‘obituary’ of Hitler posted on wall of Sofia Synagogue
The Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office has, of its own initiative, started an investigation into the pasting of “obituaries” of Adolf Hitler on the outer wall of the Sofia Central Synagogue, the Prosecutor’s Office said on January 10.
The investigation was initiated following statements by the Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria Shalom and the Central Israelite Spiritual Council, who said that the antisemitic incident happened on January 6 and was perpetrated by people wearing masks.
The “obituary”, which aped the form traditionally used by Bulgarians in notifications of deaths and which will not be translated here, was shot through with antisemitic content.
The Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office is investigating whether there were eyewitnesses and video recordings related to the case, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
On Facebook earlier, Shalom and the Central Israelite Spiritual Council expressed indignation at the “obituary”, glorifying Hitler and Nazism on the Synagogue’s gates.
“We remind you that the glorification of the National Socialist ideology and its leaders, who committed some of the most brutal crimes in history, is not just a crime, but also an insult to all those Bulgarian citizens who, over the years and even today, have clearly expressed their position against racism and antisemitism,” Shalom said.
The incident is the latest of numerous incidents of antisemitism in Europe and worldwide, following the brutal attack on Israel on October 7 2023 by terrorist group Hamas, and Israel’s response to defend itself. Since that Hamas terrorist attack, security at places in Bulgaria linked to Bulgarian Jews and the State of Israel has been stepped up, with Bulgarian state support.
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