THE prime minister of Bulgaria has promised a fair deal for jailed Reds fan Michael Shields.
But Sergei Stanishev has warned that the UK must not interfere with his country's judicial processes over the treatment of the 19-year-old from Wavertree serving a 15-year sentence for attempted murder.
His first ever comments on the matter were revealed in a letter from the Foreign Office and could mark a breakthrough in efforts to secure Michael's release.
Europe minister Douglas Alexander told Riverside MP Louise Ellman: "Prime Minister Stanishev said he would do all he properly could to ensure that the correct administrative procedures were followed but, as in the UK, he could not interfere in judicial process."
Michael is awaiting an appeal against his conviction for a near-fatal assault on a barman for which fellow Merseysider Graham Sankey has admitted responsibility.
The case has sparked uproar because Bulgaria's bid to join the European Union depends on their human rights record in guaranteeing fair trials for all citizens.
Before Christmas Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met the Shields family and warned that the strength of British public opinion over Michael's treatment could threaten the Bulgarian bid.
