Bulgaria’s Ballot Box Violence: Journalists Attacked During 2024 Elections
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November 7, 2024 – Bulgaria –
Investigative journalist Venelina Popova faced alarming intimidation from Galabovo Mayor Nikolay Tonev following her reporting on suspected electoral fraud during local elections in Bulgaria. Popova’s work exposed worrying irregularities—potential vote buying and procedural manipulation—prompting the mayor to respond not with transparency, but with threats intended to silence her journalistic inquiry.
The news site Balkan Insight reports that after Popova published her findings, Mayor Tonev contacted her directly. While the exact nature of the threats isn’t detailed, they were serious enough to prompt action from Women Press Freedom, which publicly condemned the mayor’s behavior. They emphasized that Tonev’s actions weren’t just personal attacks against Popova—they aimed to suppress all journalists pursuing public-interest investigations in Bulgaria, particularly around the integrity of elections.
Popova is not alone in the growing wave of election-related scrutiny. Calls for electoral investigations intensified across Bulgaria, especially following irregular reports in Sofia and localities like Varna during the 2019 local elections. This broader atmosphere of concern over vote-buying and procedural rigging underscores the importance—and danger—of investigative journalism in holding power to account.
The incident highlights a troubling pattern: when journalists illuminate democratic flaws, they become targets—not only of legal pushback, but of political figures who feel exposed. Women’s Press Freedom urged Bulgarian authorities and political parties, including the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, to take immediate steps: investigate Tonev’s threats, hold him accountable, and send a clear message that press freedom remains non-negotiable in a democratic society.
In confronting such threats, Popova and her colleagues are at the frontline of democratic defense. Her case reminds us that safeguarding elections requires more than procedural oversight—it demands protecting those brave enough to investigate them. If electoral integrity requires transparency, then press freedom is its guardrail.
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