Amnesty International: The Situation with Media Freedom in Bulgaria is getting Worse

The situation with the freedom of the media in Bulgaria is getting worse because of lawsuits against media and journalists and because of intimidation of reporters. This is one of the conclusions in the annual report of the international human rights organization "Amnesty International" for 2022 in the section on Bulgaria. The report was released on March 28.

The organization notes that in the past year there have been cases of rejection of migrants seeking international protection in Bulgaria, and the increase in cases of domestic violence and the lack of adequate reaction and action on the part of the authorities are noted with concern.

According to the organization, there is persistent discrimination against people with disabilities and the Roma community in Bulgaria, and hate and homophobic crimes are not actively and effectively investigated.

The organization notes that the inability to form a cabinet after the last elections in October 2022 has left the country in a state of prolonged political crisis.

The media - in the same trap: between self-censorship and threats

The organization emphasizes in its report the situation with journalists and the media in Bulgaria and refers to the study of the Association of European Journalists for last year, according to which every second journalist was subjected to illegal pressure, and every tenth was threatened with court.

"Journalists and independent media covering topics related to organized crime, corruption or minority rights were subjected to constant threats and harassment and were often the victims of illegal lawsuits by government officials and businessmen," Amnesty's report said.

It recently became known that the insurance company "Lev...

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