E/CN.4/2001/66 page 48 ambulance, and he received medical treatment. The Roma filed complaints against the police officers and security guard involved. On 16 November 1999, the Military Prosecutor’s office declined to initiate a criminal proceeding on the matter. 198. Tanya Borissova, a Roma woman, was reportedly beaten on 8 September 1999 by three police officers outside the labour bureau in Pazardzhik. 199. Lilyan Zanev, Spas Berkov, Nedyalko Zanev, Simeon Zanev and Roumyana Berkova were alleged to have been stopped on 2 October 1999 by a police car on the outskirts of Pleven and questioned. Two officers in another police car joined the first and the three beat the five Roma with truncheons for approximately 30 minutes and told the Roma that they suspected them of intending to rob nearby homes. One man reportedly obtained a medical certificate documenting his injuries and filed a complaint with the regional military prosecutor’s office in Pleven. 200. Kostadin Sherbetov reportedly died in pre-trial detention at the second precinct police department in Sofia on 21 September 1999. He was allegedly arrested following his apprehension by a private security firm. He had eight broken ribs, a head injury and severe bruising. 201. Simeon and Veronika Vuchkov, the parents of Gancho Vuchkov-Ganesta, were allegedly ill-treated by four officers of a reported secretive specialized anti-terrorist unit of the Bureau for Operational Investigation (BOI), Ministry of Internal Affairs, often referred to as “Berets”, on 13 May 1998. The “Berets” were seeking their son, allegedly accused of car theft. A BOI officer allegedly struck Veronika Vuchkova on her right breast and shoulder with a rifle butt. Although a medical certificate is said to confirm the injury, and that it was caused by a hard object, the military prosecutor’s office reportedly declined to open a criminal investigation into her complaint. One of the BOI officers who raided her apartment allegedly stated to Veronika Vuchkova that her son would be killed. She made a written protest to prosecutors on 18 May 1998 that her son dared not give himself up to such police officers for fear of summary execution. On 6 June 1999, Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel observed Gancho Vuchkov-Ganetsa playing football in the yard of the French Gymnasium School in Sofia, yet they did not take the opportunity to arrest him. They instead reportedly allowed him and his friend Angel Mitov to drive off in a car, after which several BOI and police cars gave chase at high speed and gunfire was exchanged. Gancho Vuchkov-Ganesta was reportedly wounded by a bullet to the head and died shortly afterwards. 202. Airedin Mustafov, from Slavyanovo, near Pleven, died five days after he was shot late on 2 December 1998. BOI officers are said to have chased and shot at him from a minibus on the outskirts of Sofia after he drove dangerously past their colleagues, who had signalled to him to stop. Uniformed officers also attempted to interdict him and fired shots. He was caught and taken to Sofia fifth district police station, where officers called an ambulance for him, reportedly after noticing a bullet hole in the driver’s seat of his car. The medical team reportedly found him to be uninjured and departed. But near midnight he was taken to the Pirogov emergency hospital and discovered to have at least two bullet wounds. His relatives received his corpse on 8 December 1998. His body was said to be covered with marks suggesting he had been severely beaten and his nose and jaw were broken.