A delegation of DRF presented at the European Parliament in Strasbourg the signals to all relevant European institutions, Europol and Interpol for an unprecedented leak and large-scale misuse of personal data of EU citizens and third countries through the so-called “PNR-gate”, a reporter for Novini.bg reported.
The signals are for a blatant misuse of PNR (Passenger Name Record) data of over 100,000 people, citizens of different countries, and unlawful use of data extracted from the National Unit for Receiving and Processing Passenger Reservation Data in the Republic of Bulgaria by the Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev in agreement with the I.F. the Chairman of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) Stancho Stanchev and the Director of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) at the Ministry of Interior Martin Zlatkov and their subsequent disclosure and distribution in the public and media space for political purposes and without any connection to any criminal prosecution.
The signals refer to an alleged mass data leak from international registries through the Bulgarian access point to the reservation data system for travelers with airlines in the EU, as well as to a probable misuse of PNR data of at least 82 individuals, including citizens of various countries.
According to the available information, the Ministry of Interior and the Directorate for “International Operational Cooperation“ have, in addition, made requests to other Member States and third countries regarding subsequent flights, routes, passengers, payments and final destinations, without a specific crime, factual basis, objective necessity, proportionality or clear limitations for further use.
According to the petitioners, this constitutes a serious abuse of power for political purposes and raises concerns about the compatibility with Directive (EU) 2023/977, EU principles and international obligations.
The MRF delegation included Iskra Mihaylova-Koparova, MP and Deputy Chair of the MRF Parliamentary Group, Member of the Foreign Policy Committee, Atidje Alieva-Veli, MP, Chair of the Committee on Human Rights, Religions and Citizens' Complaints, Kalin Stoyanov, MP, Member of the Committee on Internal Security and Public Order and Stanislav Anastasov, MP, Member of the Committee on Control over Security Services, the Use of Special Intelligence Means and Access to Data under the Electronic Communications Act.
They were joined by MRF MEPs Elena Yoncheva and Taner Kabilov.
After meetings they held, the representatives of the MRF gave a briefing for the media accredited to the European Parliament. Stanislav Anastasov said: “Demerdzhiev's Bulgarian PNR-gate is already a problem for the European Union and its partners. We are here to answer the questions that the institutions already have in connection with the already international scandal with the massive data leak from international registers, affecting citizens of dozens of EU member states and third countries. We expect all the authorities to which we have referred our signal to carry out immediate checks in order to establish the scale of the first PNR scandal of its kind.”
“Specifically - it is about unregulated access and subsequent unregulated use of information from international databases. The PNR system collects, stores, analyzes and, if proven necessary, uses air passenger reservation data. Data from the PNR system should be used under strictly regulated conditions, for the purpose of intercepting, detecting or prosecuting serious organized crime and crimes related to terrorism. In this case, the data was used to establish personal or political contacts, public suggestions and reputational impact. It should be established who, in what way and for what purpose publicly disclosed protected data from the PNR system," said Kalin Stoyanov.
Iskra Mihaylova - Koparova said: “I am here in my capacity as an MEP for 2014-2024, having participated in the debate and vote on Directive (EU) 2016/681, regulating the collection and access to PNR data. The protection of human rights has always been at the heart of all EP and EU decisions, including this directive, and not the use of these directives against citizens. In all our meetings, yesterday, today and tomorrow, we emphasize the need to carry out urgent checks and take urgent measures to establish the extent of the abuse. Whether, according to the most conservative calculations, the rights of over 100,000 citizens of the EU, the USA, Canada, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and third countries have not been violated, while all flights are being checked, all flights that are the subject of the curiosity of the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria. And perhaps the flights on which we arrived here are being searched right now and we are about to explain what we talked about during the flight.”
“As the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, Religions and Citizens' Complaints in the Bulgarian Parliament, I am here to inform my colleagues in the EP and the EU national parliaments that work on these issues, what measures will be taken to stop such vicious practices and protect citizens' rights. Our legal team has established the violation of three European directives and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the GDPR regulation. "Bulgaria, as a loyal EU member and partner, faces the risk of thousands of civil lawsuits for gross violation of civil and human rights," said Atidje Aliyeva-Veli.