British tourist claims he was illegally detained at Bulgarian immigration centre

A British tourist claims he was illegally detained at a Bulgarian immigration centre for two weeks after he went to police to report his passport stolen, informs "Daily Mail".

Robert Weaver, 38, a pilot from Birmingham, says what was supposed to be a short three-day trip to Bulgaria turned into a harrowing two weeks of detention, during which he was unable to contact his family and almost lost his job.

Weaver travelled alone to the ski resort of Bansko in October 2025 to view a property near the popular tourist destination.

He was staying at hotel when on the morning of his departure he discovered his passport missing from the safe in his room. Weaver went to the police station opposite his accommodation to officially report the theft. However, the police detained him on the grounds that he could not prove his identity, despite providing details of his return flight and explaining that he had previously lived in Bulgaria, where he had a property.

He was placed in a cold police cell without access to a toilet or drinking water, and the next day transferred to a detention centre. There he was held in a cell with six other people, given one meal a day and allowed to spend only 20 minutes outside.

When he asked to call his wife and father, he was denied access to a telephone. The police also denied him access to a lawyer.

Weaver's ordeal only ended when another detainee secretly gave him a mobile phone and he was able to contact the British embassy.

When he was taken to Sofia, the Sofia police apologized to him for the incident. The embassy issued him emergency travel documents and he returned to the UK a few days later.

Weaver is now suing the Bulgarian authorities for unlawful imprisonment, the "Daily Mail" reports.