Hundreds of Bulgarian Journalists Protest Censorship Threats
- Deputy premier has threatened nation’s biggest media outlets
- Balkan country is ranked worst in EU for press freedom
Valeri Simeonov (center)
Photographer: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
About 300 Bulgarian journalists gathered in front of the government building to protest against threats from a senior official against the Balkan country’s biggest broadcasters.
Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov alleges comments he made last week on television were misinterpreted and warned the nation’s three biggest TV stations and Bulgarian National Radio that he’ll file libel suits unless they apologize. Simeonov, who represents Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s junior coalition partner, the United Patriots, later said he’d propose cutting sponsorship to the outlets under European Union communication programs.