Serbia-Bulgaria environmental activism dispute

Bulgarian physician and activist Dr. Valentin Yanev was denied entry into Serbia by border authorities at the Ribarci crossing on August 11. Serbian officials cited a “negative risk assessment for national security” as the reason for the 24-hour ban, though the specific nature of this risk was not clarified.

Dr. Yanev, representing the Western Provinces Scientific Institute and the ‘Western Borderlands’ association, intended to participate in an ecological discussion in Bosilegrad alongside Dimitar Kumanov of the Balkanika Association. The meeting included representatives from the Bern Convention Bureau investigating environmental concerns in the Karamannica and Musul villages, the Homolje Mountains, and the Mlava River canyon.

The denial prevented Dr. Yanev from presenting research regarding the potential reopening of the Karamannica lead and zinc mine. His findings highlighted risks of transboundary pollution, specifically heavy metal contamination in water sources affecting both Serbian and Bulgarian territories, such as the Kyustendil region. Activists reported that water samples in the area have shown heavy metal concentrations 40 to 50 times above normal levels, linking previous mining activities to increased rates of oncological diseases in local populations. The exclusion prevented Dr. Yanev from presenting these findings on water contamination and local health status to the Bern Convention mission.