Bulgaria’s new law on cultural heritage is about to face one of its first tests in the prosecution of Dimitar Draganov, a professor in numismatics from the town of Rousse on the Danube.
On October 23, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) said that prosecutors had accused Draganov of participation in an organised crime group specialising in illegal treasure hunting, intending to profit from selling archaeological findings.
The case is notable because it is the first time that a professor esteemed as an expert in numismatics has been accused of such a crime. The news came two weeks after the new law’s deadline expired for all holders of archaeological findings to register them in court.
