Over Half of Bulgarians Approve Citizen's Arrests - Poll

More than half of Bulgarians generally approve the idea of volunte?r patrols of citizens detaining migrants who have crossed into the country, an Alpha Research poll shows.

The poll, ordered by private broadcaster NOVA TV, reveals that a total of 54.8% of respondents agree citizen's arrest should be used to deter migrants.

Of those, 29.4% said they "categorically" approved such a form of detention, while 25.4% "partly" approved it.

The rest are divided, with 25.4% rather disapproving, 17.5% firmly against, and 2.2% not having replied.

The poll has followed a controversial video was uploaded on Facebook showing citizen's arrests of migrants that sparked an outcry from human rights organizations and international media and prompted the government to distance itself from the patrols.

Petar Nizamov, the man who published the video and captured the three Afghans with plastic straps tying their hands behind their backs, was then placed under house arrest.

Separately, 54.8% say volunteers should provide assistance in the detention of migrants, but only if their actions are coordinated with police, while only 16.2% maintain everyone should be able to do such arrests freely.

Some 28.5% of respondents replied it is only the state that could engage in detentions.

The issue has become divisive in Bulgaria, with supporters and opponents of the practice citing different legal interpretation.

According to Article 142 (1) of the Bulgarian Criminal Code, "A person who kidnaps another person in view of unlawfully depriving him/her of liberty."

However, defenders of citizen's arrests, who maintain volunteering patrols do not breach the law, cite the code's Article 12a (1), which reads that: "It...