The Jehovah Witnesses are a dangerous sect and has to be abolished in Bulgaria, the nationalist VMRO party has declared in a letter sent to the Bulgarian press.

The nationalists claim they have nothing to do with Sunday’s physical assault on followers of the movement.

On Sunday, five followers of the Jehovah Witnesses were injured in a clash provoked by a rally against their sect, organized by VMRO. The incident happened in the Black Sea city of Burgas, in front of the Jehovah Witnesses House of Prayer.

The attackers were football hooligans, VMRO explains in the letter, stating that the party intended to stage a peaceful protest. However, it warns that accidents like this may follow if the Jehovah Witnesses are not banned.

“If the state does not take measures against the untraditional and dangerous religions, clashes like this in Burgas will continue to happen. The citizens will react on their own when they see that the state is idle,” VMRO says.

Meanwhile, the Jehovah Witnesses have said they will approach the Human Rights Court in Strassbourg, as well as the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office, about the case.