Fears for detained Aussie’s freedom

FOREIGN Minister Marise Payne has raised concerns with her Bulgarian counterpart about the ongoing detention of Australian man Jock Palfreeman.

The Prime Minister has called for quiet as consular officials work behind the scenes to secure his release.

Palfreeman was granted parole by Bulgarian authorities last week after serving more than 11 years behind bars for a fatal stabbing, but the 32-yearold has not yet been allowed to leave the country.

Senator Payne raised Palfreeman’s detention with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva at the United Nations yesterday.

“Given the parole decision, consular officials will continue engaging with the Bulgarian Government on his situation and arrangements for his release,” Senator Payne said.

Ms Zakharieva had earlier told a Bulgarian radio station she was too busy to meet Senator Payne.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia was directly engaging with the Bulgarian Government on the issue.

“Like in any of these very sensitive consulate cases, they are never assisted by public commentary,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Queensland.

Palfreeman was sentenced to 20 years’ jail in 2009 for the fatal stabbing of law student Andrei Monov during a brawl in 2007.

His release on parole last week was met with outrage in Bulgaria. It prompted the country’s powerful prosecutor-general to lodge an extraordinary petition to suspend Palfreeman’s parole and review the ruling from the Court of Appeals.

Palfreeman, who is being held in immigration detention, told the ABC his passport was ready but he still wasn’t allowed to leave the country.

IT WAS PRETTY DEVASTATING TO THINK THAT HE WAS ALMOST BACK AND THEN SUDDENLY THERE’S THIS OTHER DEVELOPMENT WHERE THEY’RE TRYING TO BLOCK HIM COMING HOME

FATHER SIMON PALFREEMAN

His father Simon and stepmother Helen are devastated their hopes of his homecoming may be dashed.

“It was pretty devastating to think that he was almost back and then suddenly there’s this other development where they’re trying to block him coming home,” Mr Palfreeman told ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday.

Palfreeman has consistently maintained he acted in self-defence when stabbing Mr Monov, 23, during a brawl in Sofia, saying he intervened to prevent the law student and a group of friends attacking two Roma men, also known as Gypsies.