Disturbing attempts at intimidation and financial destruction of the media in Bulgaria and Serbia

Eurohold Bulgaria, a corporate finance advisory business, is suing Bulgarian investigative news agency, Bivol, in a bizarre claim for half a million euros.  Eurohold claim that Bivol’s reporting provoked comments about their business on social networks, which damaged their reputation on the Bulgarian stock exchange.  This is the third such law suit launched in Bulgaria against Bivol.

Bivol has been targeted by the authorities and establishment businesses for years.  It is funded largely by donations from its readers. This latest lawsuit is an attempt to destroy it financially.

Meanwhile, in Serbia three frivolous lawsuits known as SLAPPS have been filed in the past month against the media center KRIK, making a total of 10 legal actions currently facing the Belgrade-based investigative media outlet.  

These SLAPPS, short for “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” which are brought against journalists in order to silence them, appear to be part of a coordinated campaign by political powers to weaken KRIK and further quash independent media in the country.

Democratic institutions cannot tolerate further harassment and attempts to destroy the media in the Balkans, and the BFMI stands firm in support of the prosecuted.