US Embassy Alerts NYT: Bulgaria Did Not See 125 Killings in 2008

Bobi Tsankov's murder is the 151th contract killing in Bulgaria since 1993, according to data of US Embassy. Photo by BGNES

US Embassy in Sofia has notified the New York Times/International Herald Tribune over an incorrect number of gangland killings in Bulgaria that they provided in a recent article.

In a last week’s article on the murder of controversial Bulgarian journalist Bobi Tsankov (shot dead in Sofia January 5, 2010), the New York Times (reprinted by Novinite.com HERE and available HERE) and International Herald Tribune published the following report:

“In 2008 there were more than 125 contract killings in Bulgaria, according to a list compiled by the United States Embassy there.”

The press office of the US Embassy in Sofia told Novinite.com it had alerted the NYT/IHT that the cited figure was incorrect.

”Our data at the embassy indicates that approximately 140 contract killings occurred in Bulgaria from 1993 through 2008. Taking into account the data for 2009 as well as the most recent incident, we estimate that 151 contract killings have occurred in Bulgaria since 1993,“ the press office of the US Embassy in Sofia has said.

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