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OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN is a democratic party in the Republic of Bulgaria, that protects the rights of the minorities and strives for the
decentralization of the country. It is the only political party that fights for the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. The
party operates mainly in the south-western region of the country, also known as Pirin Macedonia. It was registered as a political party
in 1999 and participated in municipal elections in October 1999, where it elected five local officials. However, on February 29, 2000,
the Constitutional Court in Bulgaria declared OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN unconstitutional. This was in direct violation of the right to
freedom of association and the right to freedom from discrimination.
The Bulgarian government refuses to acknowledge the existence of the large Macedonian minority in Pirin Macedonia and continues to
violate its basic human rights. Members and supporters of OMO "Ilinden" - PIRIN (political party and human rights organization) and OMO
Ilinden (human and minority rights organization) have been videotaped, harrassed, beaten, fined, and even imprisoned simply for asserting
their ethnic Macedonian identity.
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