(RSF/IFEX) – According to reports, a local appeal court in the southern Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora recently charged Yovka Atanassova, editor of and journalist for the daily Starozagorsky Novini, with a 1.5 million lev fine (about 550 dollars) under articles 147 and 148 of the Bulgarian penal code. If Atanassova fails to pay her […]
(RSF/IFEX) – According to reports, a local appeal court in the southern
Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora recently charged Yovka Atanassova, editor of
and journalist for the daily Starozagorsky Novini, with a 1.5 million lev
fine (about 550 dollars) under articles 147 and 148 of the Bulgarian penal
code. If Atanassova fails to pay her fine, the court can legally seize some
of her property on 22 January. On 21 March 1997, she was sentenced to a
three month suspended prison sentence and a 500, 000 lev fine (about 180
dollars) for the publication of an article about a lawyer suspected of
financial fraud. Two other cases of libel against Atanassova are pending
appeal and could lead to her imprisonment.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Appeals To
His Excellency Petar Stoyanov
President of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +3 592 875 601 / +3 592 822 574
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
