The International Press Association (API-IPA) is shocked by the brutal murder of Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova of tv-station TVN. API-IPA strongly condemns this crime against a journalist who was doing her work, by investigating fraud with EU-funds. We expect the Bulgarian authorities to do their utmost to investigate the truth and to bring the perpetrators of this horrible act to justice.
API-IPA is concerned that this is already the third murder within a year in the EU of a journalist who was investigating fraud and corruption at the highest levels, after the killing of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October last year, and of our Slovak colleague Jan Kuciak and his friend in February.
Intimidation of journalists is gaining ground in Europe, especially in some eastern European countries. We therefore ask the EU member states, European institutions and other authorities to do everything they can to bring this to an end and strengthen safety for all media professionals. They cannot remain passive. Our freedom and democracy depend on it.
API-IPA supports the proposal by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) of an International Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals (https://tinyurl.com/ybd9gnpq)
