Bulgarian Journalists Boycott the Ministry of Finance’s Absurd Requirements for Accreditation

Bulgarian journalists are boycotting the absurd demands placed on them by the Ministry of Finance headed by Asen Vassilev.

In an open letter to Minister Vassilev, with which the Association of European Journalists stands in solidarity with reporters and editors, it is stated:

"Dear Mr. Minister,

We, the Bulgarian journalists who signed this letter, refuse to accredit ourselves for access to the Ministry of Finance, after your decision the institution introduced disproportionate requirements that make it difficult and limit access to press conferences and briefings.

It is the duty of the institutions to ensure transparency and accountability for their activities. The right of citizens to seek and receive information is guaranteed by the Constitution and the Law on Access to Public Information introduces a ban on discrimination in the provision of information by the public sector and a ban on restricting free competition.

One of the ways to ensure the right to information about the activities of state institutions is through the access of journalists and media to the representatives of these institutions. Journalists must enjoy equal treatment and not be subject to discrimination. Institutions have the right to introduce rules of conduct and access to events with the participation of the media, but these rules must not create unnecessary obstacles, nor leave the impression that their real purpose is to limit access to certain media and their representatives, nor to freelance journalists.

The state has the right and duty to consider measures against disinformation, but these measures must take into account the balance of different rights, so as not to turn into hidden censorship. It is...