© Julia Lazarova
– Atanas Chobanov
On Sunday (January 9th), investigative journalist Atanas Chobanov of bird.bg announced on Facebook that he had received a threat in connection with his latest investigation for the American lobbyist Anthony Podesta and his contractual relations with Bulgarian companies, whose owners are connected with the interests of the MRF MP Delyan Peevski, sanctioned under the global law “Magnitsky”.
“On Friday at 12.05 I received a call from an official from a foreign government that I am under immediate threat and they are obliged by law to notify me. The threat is local to Bulgaria, but I am currently abroad. I immediately notified the Bulgarian services, which So far I have no official confirmation that anything is being done about this case, my latest work is related to Peevski and the lobbying agreements of his proxy with Tony Podesta. “The question is what the new government is doing to get us out of the infamous 111th place in terms of media freedom,” Chobanov wrote.
The Association of Bulgarian Journalists (AEJ) reacted immediately, calling on the Bulgarian services to act quickly with a position stating: “The OCCRP, an international journalistic project investigating organized crime and corruption, said on Twitter that it had serious and reliable information about a threat against Bulgarian journalist Atanas Chobanov. We urge every effort to identify and neutralize the possible source of the threat.”
On Monday, the MRF press center announced that party chairman Mustafa Karadayi and MPs Yordan Tsonev and Delyan Peevski would contact SANS with a request to verify Chobanov’s allegations. In a statement full of qualifications addressed to Chobanov and the sites “Bivol” and “Bird.bg” and the usual false points of reference that they serve the interests of the founder of “Dnevnik” and “Capital” Ivo Prokopiev, MRF deputies hint that a threat it may not be. But if there is, it should be investigated.
A little later, Chobanov announced again on Facebook that the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office would investigate the threats against him, and the supervising prosecutor was Ivo Boev, who is known to have closed one of the files on police violence during the protests against Borissov and Geshev.
For the “award” he became part of the so-called special team in the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office. guard foreign services “, Chobanov writes.
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Dnevnik contacted him and asked him a few questions on the subject. It became clear from his answers that the warning was received by a foreign special service, which is obliged by law to do so, but he did not give details. An inspection of Dnevnik shows that such an obligation exists, for example, in the American Directive 191, which obliges the special services to inform the relevant persons and groups when they have information about the threat of premeditated murder, grievous bodily harm and kidnapping.
We also asked questions to the editor of “Bivol” Asen Yordanov and we are waiting for his answers.
Here is what Atanas Chobanov said:
Are you provided with any security?
– I’m abroad. As far as I know, it is not for my colleagues in Bulgaria.
Why do you think the threat is related to your latest investigation and Peevski?
– Chronologically I was warned in the last hours of the Podesta investigation, the day after we started calling the affected persons.
Were you warned in the United States?
– From a partner government. Which has such a legal requirement.
After this warning, can foreign authorities investigate the threat against you?
– I do not think. But I will file a complaint just in case. In the conversation it was explicitly said that the threat is for Bulgaria. At least that’s how I knew it was local.
Is that how you understood the attack in Bulgaria?
– Yes, that’s how I understood it.
Asen Yordanov was also wanted, but by the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior even after I raised the alarm. He was not sought after by another’s service.
Does Asen Yordanov work for Bird?
– No. We are divided as teams, but we are cooperating on some investigations and using common resources.
What did the Ministry of Interior offer to Asen Yordanov?
– Nothing. And nothing to me.
And at least he showed interest in the threat, will they investigate?
– I do not know. Assen said they only warned him. In my case, the Bulgarian services were certainly ignorant.
And what are they warning him about?
“For a threat.” No specifics.
Having read your Facebook post obviously?
– No, this happens with the calls on Friday (January 7).
That is, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior learns about the threat when you call those affected. But for Asen Yordanov, right?
– No. The Ministry of the Interior has learned that there is a threat against Assen, through some of his channels.
Did you see what the MRF sent on Monday – what is your comment?
– Statement of a mafia organization under the guise of a political party. And for the “Capital” circle, let Mr. Prokopiev comment. I haven’t seen his eyes, let alone the money.
This statement and the referral to SANS is proof that the order comes from the front row in parliament. Similarly, these bandits introduced a bill against gold passports after Mr Peevski was told by the United States that he was trading in citizenship.
Have you received any threats from these other people?
– Over the years I have often been the subject of defamation campaigns in Peevski’s media, including endangering my security, as his propagandists under the guise of journalists came to Paris twice and photographed my home to make another defamatory report. So I have experience with this band.
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