IFEX posredstvom IPI-ja donosi vijest o udaru na slobodu medija u Bugarskoj

28.02.2007.

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community

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ALERT - BULGARIA

26 February 2007

Offices of two newspapers invaded by MP, leader and supporters of political party, editor threatened with assault over critical coverage

SOURCE: International Press Institute (IPI), Vienna

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a letter to Bulgarian authorities by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate:

H.E. Sergei Stanishev
Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +359 2 980 20 56

H.E. Rumen Yordanov Petkov
Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +359 2 9885440

H.E. Georgi Pirinski
Chairman of the National Assembly
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +359 2 981 31 31

Vienna, 26 February 2007

Your Excellencies,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed at the pressure applied on the media by the supporters and members of the Bulgarian ATAKA party, including its leader Volen Siderov, on the editorial offices of the Bulgarian daily 24 hours and weekly 168 hours.

Based on information provided to SEEMO, on 23 February at about 1:40 p.m. Siderov, his deputy Pavel Shopov, and Dimitar Stojanov, ATAKA Member of the Bulgarian Parliament and Member of the European Parliament, together with a group of party supporters, went to the editorial office of the two newspapers. In addition, another organised group of some 100 supporters was waiting nearby. When at the editorial office of the print media, the group requested from the journalists a document to justify an article published on the previous day about some financial transactions. During the visit, journalists and editors from both newspapers were threatened, humiliated and verbally abused.

During the invasion of the newspapers' editorial office, one ATAKA politician allegedly threatened Nikolai Penchev, editor-in-chief of 168 hours. The politician apparently said to Penchev that he would "rip out" his liver and that he knows where Penchev lives.

We would like to remind Your Excellencies that those with legitimate complaints against the media have a range of different mechanisms to pursue these complaints. These violent threats represent a serious attempt to pressure the media and they should be condemned whenever and wherever they occur.

SEEMO would also like to remind Your Excellencies that a safe working environment for journalists is a fundamental element of every democratic society. Bulgaria in now a member of the European Union (EU) and these violent actions against journalists by the members and supporters of a political party in an EU country are unacceptable.

Your Excellencies, we ask you to fully investigate this case, including the verbal threats made against the journalists. We call on Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to protect the lives of all journalists, and to take all necessary steps against the persons responsible for this unwarranted invasion of a newspaper.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Similar appeals may be sent to:

H.E. Sergei Stanishev
Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +359 2 980 20 56

H.E. Rumen Yordanov Petkov
Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +359 2 9885440

H.E. Georgi Pirinski
Chairman of the National Assembly
Sofia, Bulgaria
Fax: +359 2 981 31 31

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2/29, A-1010 Vienna, Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: ipi@freemedia.at, Internet site: http://www.freemedia.at, or SEEMO, Spiegelgasse 2/29, 1010 Vienna, Austria, tel (SEEMO+HELP LINE): +43 1 513 39 40, tel (SEEMO): +43 1 512 90 11 11,  fax: +43 1 512 90 15, e-mail: info@seemo.org, Internet: http://www.seemo.org

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IPI.
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