his authority, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to six years.
(2) (New, SG No. 62/1997) Where the act has been perpetrated by a person under Article
142, paragraph (2), subparagraphs 6 and 8, the punishment shall be imprisonment for three to ten
years.
(3) (New, SG No. 16/2019) Where the act under Paragraph 1 has been committed in the
situation of domestic violence, the punishment shall be imprisonment for three to ten years.
(4) (New, SG No. 62/1997, amended and supplemented, SG No. 103/2004, effective
1.01.2005, supplemented, SG No. 43/2005, amended, SG No. 27/2009, SG No. 33/2011,
renumbered from Paragraph 3, SG No. 16/2019) Where the coercion is imposed upon a judge, a
prosecutor, an examining magistrate, a police body, an investigating police officer, a public
enforcement agent, a private enforcement agent or an assistant private enforcement agent, a
customs officer, a revenue officer, an official of the Executive Forestry Agency, or an official of
the Ministry of Environment and Waters performing a control activity in the course of or in
relation to carrying out his/her duties or functions, the punishment shall be:
1. imprisonment from two to eight years, in cases within the scope of Paragraph 1;
2. imprisonment from five to fifteen years, in cases within the scope of Paragraph 2.
Article 143a
(New, SG No. 41/1985)
(1) A person who holds someone hostage, whose release he makes dependent upon the
fulfilment of a certain condition by the state, a state or public organisation, or by a third party,
shall be punished by imprisonment for one to eight years.
(2) Where in the cases of the preceding paragraph the perpetrator threatens to cause the
death or severe or medium bodily injury to the person held if the condition put by him fails to be
fulfilled, the punishment shall be imprisonment for two to ten years.
(3) (New, SG No. 62/1997) Where the act under the preceding paragraphs has been
committed by a person under Article 142, paragraph (2), subparagraphs 6 and 8, the punishment
shall be:
1. under paragraph (1) - imprisonment for two to ten years;
2. under paragraph (2) - imprisonment for five to twelve years.
Article 144
(1) (Amended, SG No. 28/1982, SG No. 10/1993, SG No. 62/1997, SG No. 26/2010) A
person who threatens someone with a crime against his person or property or against the person
or property of his next-of-kin, and where this threat could evoke justified fear of its
implementation, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years.
(2) (Amended and supplemented, SG No. 28/1982, amended, SG No. 10/1993, SG No.
62/1997, SG No. 26/2010) For threat towards an official or representative of the public during or
in connection with carrying out their duties or functions, or to a person enjoying international
protection, the punishment shall be imprisonment for up to five years.
(3) (Supplemented, SG No. 62/1997, amended, SG No. 92/2002, effective 1.01.2005 in
respect of the punishment of probation - amended, SG No. 26/2004, effective 1.01.2004, SG No.
26/2010, supplemented, SG No. 16/2019) If the perpetrator has made a threat of murder or the
act has been committed by a person under Article 142, paragraph (2), sub-paragraphs 6 and 8, or
has been committed in the situation of domestic violence, the punishment shall be imprisonment
for up to six years.