E/CN.4/1990/46 page 7 29. Regarding the events referred to in the above-mentioned communications dated 8 May and 26 June 1989, the Special Rapporteur received from the Bulgarian Mission a copy of a communication transmitted to the Secretary-General by the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, as follows: "The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bulgaria guarantees equal rights to all its citizens. Recently the Bulgarian National Assembly adopted a number of new acts which are in full compliance with the international instruments on civil and political rights and the agreements reached by the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. They facilitate and liberalize the regime of travel outside Bulgaria by eliminating all restrictions on leaving the country for either temporary or permanent stay abroad. Under these acts, the number of Bulgarian nationals travelling abroad has considerably increased. The Bulgarian authorities neither 'deport' nor 'expel' anybody. Those travelling to Turkey are doing so of their own free will and under no compulsion whatsoever. "The fact that many Bulgarian citizens have availed themselves of this right has created economic and financial problems for my country. Massive amounts of money have been withdrawn from the banks, labour shortages are felt in some branches of the economy. Under these circumstances it could hardly be claimed in all seriousness that my Government is subjecting itself to economic hardships by driving its citizens out of the country. Bulgaria aims at strictly adhering to its international commitments, due to which the Government finds it impossible, despite all difficulties, to limit the right of its citizens freely to leave the country and return to it." A number of Muslims are reportedly detained on religious grounds for motives such as the refusal to change Muslim names, including the following persons: Cemul Mehmedoglu, Mimin Mestof, Kamil Arifof, Tahir Tahirof, Ibrahim Ibrahimof. 30. In a communication of 8 November 1989 addressed to the Government concerned, the following information was transmitted by the Special Rapporteur: "It has been alleged that Baptists have not been able to hold a congress since 1946 and that the Government, rather than the Baptists themselves, has been appointing the leaders of their churches. Thus, the Baptists are allegedly being denied their right to meet freely and to elect their own leaders." Burundi 31. In a communication addressed to the Government on 13 October 1989, the following information was transmitted by the Special Rapporteur: "According to information received, at a meeting of governors of provinces in February 1989 attended by the President of the Republic, it was recommended that the parochial activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in

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