Bulgaria's surveillance laws breach European human rights convention-ECHR

FILE PHOTO: The courtroom of the European Court of Human Rights is seen ahead of the start of a hearing concerning Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia regarding human rights violations in Crimea, at in Strasbourg, France, September 11, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria violates the European Convention of Human Rights when it comes to secret surveillance and retention and accessing of communication data, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday.

In a case brought by two Bulgarian lawyers and two rights protection non-profit organisations in 2012, an ECHR chamber found that Bulgarian legislation did not meet the requirements of the Convention and was unable to keep surveillance to only that which was necessary.