(RSF/IFEX) – Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Carolina Kraeva, director and journalist with the newspaper Istina (“Truth”) in Vratza, in northwestern Bulgaria. The warrant for Kraeva’s arrest follows a court decision to arrest her for “abusing and libelling” Georgy Assenov, a local police chief, in an article published on 20 May […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of
Carolina Kraeva, director and journalist with the newspaper
Istina (“Truth”) in Vratza, in northwestern Bulgaria. The warrant
for Kraeva’s arrest follows a court decision to arrest her for
“abusing and libelling” Georgy Assenov, a local police chief, in
an article published on 20 May 1997. It seems that she had asked
“inconvenient questions” in the article, although she did not
accuse Assenov directly. The journalist is in hiding and believes
that her telephone is being tapped.
Kraeva is charged under paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 148/1 of
the Bulgarian Criminal Code, which punish the libelling of a
representative of the authorities. This article was widely used
against journalists in 1996. One was jailed for six months, two
were arrested and charged, and another was given a prison
sentence (see IFEX alert of 21 February 1996).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Carolina Kraeva
of how this law is applied
Appeals To
His Excellency Ivan Kostov
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +3 592 887 2770His Excellency Petar Stoyanov
President of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +3 592 875 601 / +3 592 822 574Vasil Gotzev
Minister of Justice
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +3 592 767 3226
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
