SEEMO Concerned over Arson Attack on Bulgarian Journalist's Car

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) has expressed concern about a reported attack on a vehicle owned by Genka Shikerova, co-host of a popular morning show in Bulgaria.

Genka Shikerova, a long-time journalist at private TV channel bTV who currently co-hosts its morning broadcast "Tazi Sutrin", recently held several interviews with key Bulgarian politicians, asking them sharp and uneasy questions. Among those are the Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev, liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Lyutvi Mestan and the ex-regional development minister Liliyana Pavlova of the former GERB cabinet.

Shikerova’s car – a Peugeot 308 – parked in front of the journalist’s home in Sofia’s Geo Milev district - suddenly burst into flames half on the evening of September 16. The car burned down completely.

SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said: “This is not the first time that the car of a journalist or a media company has been damaged in Bulgaria. Such incidents are used in the country as a means of threatening journalists. I urge the state authorities to investigate this case.”

He added: “I also call on authorities in Sofia to solve the cases of previous attacks on journalists. As we know, no one has been charged in relation to a number of cases of violence against journalists in Bulgaria in recent years.  Further, I urge all EU institutions in Brussels to do more to protect the security of journalists in Bulgaria. Attacks and pressure on journalists in any EU country, including Bulgaria, are not acceptable."

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