Students from Burgas Free University successfully participate in a prestigious international conference in Romania
On July 2-4, 2026, representatives of the Center for Legal Studies of the Burgas Free University took part in the International Scientific Conference "Human Rights at Risk: Organized Crime at Sea and Across Borders (OC-SAB 2026)", held at the Romanian-American University in Bucharest. The conference was organized within the framework of COST Action CA23103 – Life, Liberty and Health: Ensuring Universal Protection of Human Rights at Sea (BlueRights) and brought together scientists, practitioners and experts from different countries working in the field of human rights, cross-border crime and international criminal law cooperation.
Burgas Free University was among the representatives of Bulgaria at the conference and participated with the largest academic group, including one lecturer, five students and one doctoral candidate. The university representatives participated in the scientific program with two scientific reports, presented by a lecturer and students from BSU.
Within the framework of the scientific program, students Kadir Ibryam, Martin Trendafilov, Alexandra Filipova and Iliyan Bachkov presented a report on the topic "Algorithmic Patrols & the Techno-Borderscape", dedicated to the use of modern algorithmic technologies and intelligent border surveillance systems, analyzing the opportunities and risks of their implementation and their impact on the protection of fundamental rights in the context of increasing digitalization of control over migration processes.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mila Ivanova and Miriam Gospodinova presented a report on the topic "Digital Evidence and the Protection of Fundamental Rights in Cross-Border Human Trafficking Investigations within the European Union", dedicated to the legal and practical challenges in the collection, use and exchange of digital evidence in cross-border human trafficking investigations in the European Union. The main emphasis was placed on the need to achieve a balance between the effectiveness of criminal prosecution and the guarantee of fundamental rights when using digital evidence in cross-border criminal proceedings.
The conference participants included prominent international scholars and practitioners, including International Criminal Court judge and former European Court of Human Rights judge Iulia Motoc, former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy Joseph A. Cannataci, Acting Director of the Organized Crime Division at UNODC Ilias Chatzis, European Delegated Prosecutor and Coordinator of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Romania Dana-Manuela Ana, as well as Italian Anti-Mafia Prosecutor and Judicial Attaché in Romania Cristiana Macchiusi.
The participation of representatives of Burgas Free University in OC-SAB 2026 confirms the active presence of the university in international academic exchange and expands the opportunities for scientific cooperation, participation in international research networks and development of joint scientific projects and publications.
