RSF Denounces Removal of Political Cartoons from Bulgaria’s Nova TV Website  

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced the removal of political cartoons by Bulgarian cartoonist Chavdar Nikolov from the website of Nova TV broadcaster as an “unacceptable act of censorship.”

Sofia-based Nova TV, owned by Swedish media group MTG, decided on April 14 to remove a video cartoon by Nikolov from its website and terminate its contract with the author after his latest caroon  mocked Prime Minister Boyko Borisov for supporting self-proclaimed vigilante "migrant hunters" in Bulgaria.

RSF also described as “grotesque” the claim of Didier Stoessel, executive director of Nova Broadcasting Group, that the reason for removing the cartoons was the expiry of Nikolov’s contract.

“The media must participate in the democratic debate, which includes this kind of cartoon. Media freedom is not a trite formula,” RSF said in a statement on its website on Saturday.

RSF also called for restoring all of Nikolov’s video cartoons to the Nova TV website.

Meanwhile, Didier Stoessel has apologized for the way in which he handled the case with Nikolov’s contract.

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