US Embassy in Bulgaria warns investigative journalist Atanas Tchobanov of ‘imminent threat’
Berlin, January 13, 2022 — Bulgarian authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate any threats against investigative journalist Atanas Tchobanov and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 7, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, notified Tchobanov, a reporter for Bulgarian investigative news websites Bivol and BIRD, that they…
Bulgarian journalist Nickolay Stoyanov faces criminal defamation suits over reporting
Berlin, June 2, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the filing of three criminal defamation suits against Bulgarian journalist Nickolay Stoyanov, and called on authorities to reform the country’s laws to decriminalize speech. Since February, two subjects of Stoyanov’s reporting for the Bulgarian weekly Capital have filed criminal defamation suits over his…
Bulgarian reporter Martin Georgiev summoned for questioning over request for comment on police brutality
Berlin, September 22, 2020 – Bulgarian authorities must make good faith efforts to work with the press, and should refrain from taking actions that could intimidate reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 14, police in Sofia, the capital, summoned Martin Georgiev, a crime reporter at the local daily Sega, for questioning…
Bulgarian riot police beat and pepper spray journalists covering demonstrations
Berlin, September 3, 2020 — Bulgarian authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate police attacks on journalists, hold those responsible to account, and ensure that reporters can cover protests freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday evening, while breaking up an anti-government protest in Sofia, the capital, riot police officers attacked and briefly detained…
Bulgarian journalist attacked while covering ruling party conference
On August 5, 2020, at the conference of the ruling GERB party in Sofia, Bulgaria, an unidentified man attacked journalist Polina Paunova, a correspondent for the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, according to news reports, a video of the incident posted to Facebook, and the journalist, who communicated with CPJ via email. In…
Bulgarian investigative journalist Nikolay Staykov receives threatening calls
Berlin, July 7, 2020—Bulgarian authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate the threatening phone calls made to journalist Nikolay Staykov, hold those responsible to account, and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since mid-June, Staykov, an independent journalist and co-founder of the Anti-Corruption Fund in Bulgaria, a local advocacy group, has received…
Verdict expected in trial of Bulgarian publisher Ivo Prokopiev
New York, June 27, 2020 — Bulgarian authorities should immediately drop the charges against publisher Ivo Prokopiev, which are retaliatory in nature and intended to stifle critical reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Tomorrow, Prokopiev, who owns the independent news website Dnevnik and business weekly Capital, is set to appear before a criminal…
Bulgarian reporter Hristo Geshov says he was briefly abducted; news outlets attack him
The Bulgarian freelance investigative journalist Hristo Geshov said he received threats and at least two news outlets published articles attacking him and shared explicit videos and photos of him after he reported on an allegedly illegal water supply and sewage system at the Chiflika resort complex in Troyan, central Bulgaria. He also said that unknown…