site.btaEuropean Commission Presents EU Media Situation Report Including Data about Bulgaria

July 23 (BTA corr. Nikolay Zhelyazkov) - The European Commission presented on Thursday several reports by independent academics on the condition of media in the EU and its future member states. The documents also cover the mass media situation in Bulgaria in 2018-2019.

The reports point out that Bulgaria is one of several EU members (together with Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Albania) where the freedom of expression and the right to search, acquire and transmit information are under moderate risk. Regarding the protection of journalists, the results are similar. The reports insist that the murder of journalist Viktoria Marinova in 2018 was related to her work investigating misappropriation of EU funds.

The heinous crime was committed on October 6, 2018 in a particularly painful manner to the victim and with particular cruelty. Four days later, suspect Severin Krassimirov, 21, was arrested in Germany. He confessed to all facts and circumstances in the indictment.

In April of 2019 the Rousse District Court sentenced Severin Krassimirov to 30 years' imprisonment for raping, sexually assaulting and murdering TVN TV Administrative Director, journalist and current affairs programme host Viktoria Marinova, aged 30.

Bulgaria is one of 13 countries where media diversity is under a considerable threat, and one of the 14 where editorial freedom is seriously threatened by the influence of the business and media owners. According to the reports, the political independence of Bulgarian media is also at risk. In addition, minorities in Bulgaria have limited access to the media.

Bulgaria is among the 18 states where the right to information is under a moderate threat. The documents point out that there is legislation protecting the freedom of expression, but it is not being enforced at a satisfactory level. In Bulgaria, whistle-blowers and journalists are also under high physical threat.

According to the reports, Bulgaria is among the countries with the highest risks involved in the allotment of state funding for advertisement. Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are the only three countries covered by the reports where the independence of state media directors is the most uncertain.

RY/MT
/МТ/