Investigative Journalism in Bulgaria: Swearing and Threats, and If You Complain – Geshev Warns You

“This is the second time I’ve told you, I’ll *b*p* aunty, if you call, I’ll find you again and break your head.” Journalist Dimitar Stoyanov received these threats after contacting businessman Hristo Bliznakov by phone in connection with an investigation into possible misuse of EU funds by his companies. No reason for such aggression was given. Dimitar turned to Bliznakov politely and asked him if he was willing to give an interview.

After the threat, Dimitar Stoyanov filed a complaint with the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, describing in detail the situation, as well as the data that arouse journalistic interest and should also interest law enforcement authorities, especially since it is suspected of misuse of European funds.

City Prosecutor Pavel Panov forwarded Stoyanov’s complaint to the Sofia Regional Prosecutor’s Office. There is no evidence that a file has been opened in the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on the abuse of EU funds described in the signal. A file under number 9430/2021 with supervising prosecutor Tanya Alexandrova has been filed in the SRS.

The result so far is that on April 8, 2021, Dimitar was summoned to the Sofia Directorate of the Interior to be handed a warning protocol not to communicate with Bliznakov, as if it were a domestic quarrel.

There is no logical explanation why the prosecution decided to warn the journalist doing his job instead of dealing with the swearing and threatening individual and the evidence of misuse of European money. But in the context of the investigation, this seems like intimidating the reporter so he doesn’t keep digging into the case.

Hristo Bliznakov and his relatives own and manage companies that have concentrated impressive funds from European subsidies. The journalistic interest in them is quite legitimate and in the course of the investigation it is normal to seek for opinion and comment all parties concerned.

In fact, there is an explanation for the prosecutorial and police gaffe and it leads to the disgraceful 111th place in the Reporters Without Borders ranking of freedom of speech. Just a day ago, an Amnesty International report was released, which stressed that investigative journalists in Bulgaria are exposed to power pressure.

Dimitar Stoyanov has experience with the repressive machine of power. Two years ago, he and his Romanian counterpart, Attila Biro, were detained by police while investigating the destruction of documents from the GPGate affair. The case caused an international scandal and entered into all reports on media freedom. The detention of the journalists was finally declared illegal by the court, and Stoyanov and Biro received the prestigious award for bold journalism George Weidenfeld.

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Разследващата журналистика е разузнаването на гражданите. BIRD се финансира от дарения. Ние не публикуваме реклами. Не получаваме държавни субсидии. Не разчитаме на грантове. Финансирането чрез малки дарения от читатели е гаранция за нашата независимост. Включете се, за да продължим да разкриваме злоупотреби и да държим отговорни властимащите. Използваме Вашите пари за хонорари на журналистите, командировки, изграждане и поддръжка на нашите информационни системи, такси за фирмени и имотни регистри у нас и по света, придобиване на техника и специално оборудване, осигуряване на нашата безопасност и други важни работни мисии. Важно: Ако дарявате всеки месец това ще ни даде възможност да планираме и организираме нашата работа. Благодарим Ви! Нас ни има, защото Вас Ви има!

This post is also available in: Български (Bulgarian)