Bulgarian security forces on Friday raided the temporary residences of a visiting Hamas delegation in Sofia, and then expelled the officials from the country, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.
The Hamas delegation arrived in Bulgaria on Wednesday to present the “Palestinian narrative and expose the false Israeli narrative on the Palestinians and Hamas.” The visit was the first of its kind by Hamas officials to a member of the EU.
Ma'an quoted a statement released by Hamas' Change and Reform parliamentary list as saying the that the Bulgarian move was prompted by Israeli, US and British pressure.
"We condemn this act, which reflects the scale of compliance with Zionist pressures," government spokesman Taher al-Nunu said.
Hamas officials have further called for Bulgaria to offer a formal apology, noting the visiting deputies were protected by parliamentary immunity.
The Hamas delegation left Bulgaria Friday morning after being requested to do so by the country's State Agency for National Security (DANS).
The agency has clarified that the four Hamas lawmakers legally arrived in Bulgaria on a private invitation.
The Hamas legislators were in Bulgaria at the invitation of the country’s Center for Global and Middle East Studies.