Court Ruling Sparks Censorship Fears: Bulgarian Journalists Held Liable for Interviewee’s Statements

Bulgarian journalist Dimitar Stoyanov and his colleague Angel Alexiev have been ordered to pay 3,000 leva to GERB deputy Lachezar Ivanov due to claims made by an interviewee in their 2021 publication. This decision, issued by the Sofia District Court and reported by the Association of European Journalists (AEJ), has sparked concerns about potential censorship. The ruling, which is not yet final and can be appealed, is seen by AEJ as establishing a troubling precedent where journalists could be held responsible for the statements of their interview subjects.

In August 2021, "Bird.bg" published an article titled "Help or Bribe? What Is Hidden Behind the Shares of Lachezar Ivanov, Investigated by the Prosecutor's Office?" The piece featured an interview with a businessman who alleged that Ivanov's American company shares were a "bribe." Although these remarks were presented as quotes from the interviewee, the court ruled that Stoyanov and Alexiev should have verified the credibility of the claims made.

AEJ warns that this decision could lead to increased self-censorship among journalists who might avoid interviews to evade liability for others' statements. This stance conflicts with established practices of the European Court of Human Rights, which in the 1994 Jersild v. Denmark case emphasized the role of interviews in press freedom and public discourse.