Marin Dimitrov (22) has received a one-year sentence for desecrating the Bulgarian national flag.

On April 27 2009 the regional court in the town of Yambol, central Bulgaria, acquitted the other four defendants. Five Roma had been charged with hooliganism for desecrating the Bulgarian national flag in the village of Boyadjik, near Yambol, in south-eastern Bulgaria earlier this year.

Dimitrov was the only defendant to be sentenced because he was the one who climbed the flagpole outside Boyadjik's school.

The incident happened at about 2am on February 9 2009. The group was leaving a nightclub when they took a bet on who would climb the flagpole. Dimitrov decided to take up the challenge. At that very moment local police officer Mitko Chavdarov saw him on the flagpole and decided to intervene.

Dimitrov climbed down with with the torn flag in his hands. Chavdarov arrested the whole group. Later, three of those arrested, including Dimitrov, accused the police officer of using insulting language and inflicting violence on them.

Chavdarov was put on trial and the Sliven military court decided that there was enough evidence for Chavdarov to be dismissed and fined 1000 leva. This prompted a highly negative reaction, not only among Boyadjik's inhabitants but in Bulgaria in general. Many patriotic organisations backed the officer.  In total, more than 3000 people stated their support for Chavdarov and his actions and he was awarded 1000 leva by Razvitie corporation to cover the fine

He was later acquitted and reinstated. He remains a serving police officer in Boyadjik.