Police forces are the most visible manifestation of state power that may limit fundamental freedoms, and if under pressure to stand against organized crime and new forms of terrorism they must act in line with the national, international law and always respect the human rights, EU Ambassador Aivo Orav said Thursday at a promotion of the public awareness campaign for protection of human rights in police.

The public awareness campaign for protection of human rights was developed within the EU-funded project: "Capacity Building of the Law Enforcement Agencies for Appropriate Treatment of Detained and Sentenced Persons”, which is implemented by the Council of Europe.

I hope that this project will make a difference in police practice and pave the way for future systemic reforms, which are particularly necessary for further depoliticizing the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Orav said.

MoI has been paying special attention to meeting the standards referring to the respect of human freedoms and rights, working intensively on building of its capacities to overcome certain activities, reported as wrong police work, Minister Mitko Cavkov said.

This EU-funded project focuses on two major components, notably on the penitentiary system and the police service. With respect to the police services, the project focuses on developing capacities for strengthening of professionalism in guaranteeing full observance of fundamental rights of the persons held in police custody, through an efficient and reliable regulatory and operational framework. As part of this component, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the public awareness campaign for protection of human rights was developed.

The aim of the campaign, which will run by end of October, is to raise public awareness regarding the developments in the police service concerning the observance of human rights. Its purpose is to provide information to the citizens regarding their rights in relation to police proceedings and the functioning and developments in prevention and police control systems, as well as in the complaint mechanisms in place against alleged violations of human rights by police officers. The campaign should also provide tools that would raise the consciousness among police officers on the respect of the rights of persons deprived of liberty.