Bulgaria

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 13 April 2001 IFJ media release, followed by a copy of the organisation’s letter to Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov on the case: IFJ Condemns Political Interference at Bulgarian Radio As Court Backs Journalists – 19 Protesters Forced Out – Supreme Court Declares Against the Managing Director – Journalists […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: IFJ Condemns Police Action and Sackings As Bulgarian Radio Crisis Intensifies The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ group, today condemned the authorities in Bulgaria over an escalation of the crisis at Bulgarian National Radio on Monday, when police moved into the station and […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly alarmed by the 28 June 1999 assault on journalist Alexei Lazarov in Sofia. **Updates IFEX alerts of 29 June 1999 and 11 May 1998** Lazarov, a media reporter for the popular independent weekly “Kapital”, was attacked outside his home at approximately 1 a.m. (local time) by three unidentified assailants armed […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 29 June 1999 letter to Bogomil Bonev, Minister of the Interior, RSF protested against a violent assault on journalist Aleksei Lazarov, in Sofia. RSF asked the minister “to immediately open an investigation and to keep the organisation informed about its evolution.” Recalling several cases of violent attacks against journalists in Bulgaria […]

(GHM/IFEX) – The following is a 22 January 1999 release by the Free Information Society of Bulgaria (Sofia) forwarded by GHM: On 18 December 1998, the chief of the Committee for Post and Telecommunications (CPT) signed a “list of telecommunication services which are to be licensed.” The draft list was placed on the web site […]

**Updates IFEX alert of 19 January 1999** (WPFC/IFEX) – The following is a 22 January 1999 WPFC letter to Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov protesting the criminal investigation launched against journalist Tatiana Vaksberg: Fax Letter to: 359 2987-5601 Mr. Petar Stoyanov President of the Republic Sofia, Bulgaria Your Excellency: The World Press Freedom Committee is highly […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is worried about the legal investigation opened by the public prosecutor against the journalist Tatiana Vaksberg. According to RSF’s information, on 14 January 1999, the prosecutor of the Republic, Ivan Tatarchev, asked his department to open a legal investigation on Vaksberg, a journalist with the Bulgarian section of Radio Free Europe, accusing […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – On 1 October 1998 ARTICLE 19 produced a Memorandum on the Bulgarian Draft Law on National Radio and Television. The Draft Law was recently vetoed by Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov and awaits further debate in the Bulgarian National Assembly. What follows is a summary of this memorandum. **Further to IFEX alerts of […]

(IPI/IFEX) – According to the International Press Institute, Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov vetoed a proposed radio and television law on 28 September 1998. Stoyanov sent the bill back to parliament for further debate, as he was concerned it may fail to guarantee the political independence of the media and could create divisions between ethnic groups. […]

(IPI/IFEX) – An International Press Institute delegation met in Sofia with three members of parliament (MPs) from the ruling Union of Democratic Forces Party (UDF) — Dimitar Abajiev, Ivan Dimov and Sasho Stoyanov — to call on the Bulgarian authorities to revoke articles within the penal code that punish journalists with imprisonment for articles that […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 31 July 1998, on 30 July, Kaloian Tzatchev, a journalist with the newspaper “Orient Express” in Dimitrovgrad, (southern Bulgaria), was assaulted in his flat and seriously beaten by unknown persons. The journalist had written some articles revealing how local Mafiosi are using “special treatment” while […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 30 July 1998, on 29 July 1998, the regional prosecutor, Ms. Kety Bozukova, blocked the bank account of the weekly regional newspaper “Sedmitza” in Sliven (southeastern Bulgaria). Bozukova called for a fine of 1 million levas (US$600 dollars) against the newspaper after the publication of […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 17 July 1998, on 15 July 1998, the Bulgarian Constitutional Court ruled that the articles 146, 147, 148, punishing “libel” and “insult” against state authority, do not contradict the Constitution and do therefore not have to be rescinded. The decision was taken with the majority […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 2 June 1998, the district court in Pleven confirmed a three-month suspended sentence and 250,000 leva penalty (roughly US $300) against Yovka Atanassova, the owner and editor of the independent local daily “Starozagorski Novini”, who was convicted of criminal libel against a former local prosecutor, Gospodin Gospodinov. **Updates IFEX alerts dated 11 […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In its protest letter dated 28 May 1998, calling on the Bulgarian government to amend its criminal libel statutes, CPJ listed an outdated fax number for President Petar Stoyanov. Nerry Terzieva, the president’s press secretary, provided Stoyanov’s current fax number, +3592 987 5601 or +3592 6766, and her own fax number is: +3592 […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ supports the Bulgarian Helsinki Watch Committee and a number of independent journalists’ associations who have recently petitioned the Bulgarian Parliament and the Constitutional Court to repeal articles in the Bulgarian Penal Code punishing journalists with imprisonment for criminal libel. In mid June 1998, the Constitutional Court is scheduled to rule on the […]