Kidnappers will face harsher sentences of between three to 10 years' imprisonment, Bulgarian Focus news agency said on March 24 2010.

The decision was part of the amendments to the Penal Code that Parliament started reviewing on second reading.

Until now, convicted kidnappers usually received sentences of between two and eight years.

In cases when the kidnapping has been organised by more than one person, or an organised criminal group, or when kidnappers have used firearms, sentences will be between seven and 15 years in jail, a life sentence or life in jail without parole.

In cases of a repeated offence, kidnappers will be looking at up to 20 years' imprisonment, a life sentence or life imprisonment without parole.

In November 2009, against the backdrop of a public outcry at several brutal kidnappings over the past two years, the Government approved a package of legislative amendments aimed not just at harsher penalties for kidnappers but also at improving the work of notaries, bringing transparency to ownership transfer deals and higher accountability for Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members.

The draft amendments were announced to be in compliance with the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism in the field of justice and home affairs to which Bulgaria was subjected after joining the European Union on January 1 2007.

A day before Parliament adopted the changes to the Penal Code, the EC released its Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report on Bulgaria.

The report said that in the past six months, Bulgaria had launched a number of important initiatives that are testament to its will for reform.

"Although the merit of these initiatives can only be assessed once they have produced concrete results, they demonstrate a growing recognition that substantial and far-reaching reforms are required," the European Commission said.