Bulgarian authorities must promptly investigate murder of Viktoria Marinova

October 8, 2018

Viktoria Marinova, a reporter with TVN in Ruse, Bulgaria, was found brutally murdered on 6 October. The 30-year old was reportedly found dead in a park and had also been the victim of sexual crime.

Index on Censorship is shocked and saddened at the murder of a third journalist in the European Union in the last 12 months, following the killings of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Jan Kuciak and his partner in Slovakia.

Index’s Mapping Media Freedom project, which monitors threats, limitations and violations of media freedom in 43 countries has received 45 reports concerning Bulgaria since May 2014. There are 36 verified incidents on the platform that include deaths of media professionals since May 2014.

Index and European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) partner organisations recently wrote to Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, urging him to ensure the safety of journalists.

Paula Kennedy, assistant editor, said: “Mapping Media Freedom urges the Bulgarian authorities to ensure a swift and transparent investigation into the murder of Viktoria Marinova, including clarifying if her murder was connected to her work as a journalist”.

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