The leader of “Vazrazhdane” Kostadin Kostadinov has been sentenced to pay BGN 5,000 in compensation to the reporter Vasil Ivanov, because in May 2020 he published insulting and slanderous statements about him on his Facebook profile. This is evident from a decision of the Sofia City Court, which was first reported by bird.bg. “Now” got acquainted with the court act.
Kostadinov says of Ivanov that he installed “commissioned material” and “does what he is told. We depend on the system and those who pay him to make unrealistic and misleading material”. Kostadinov also says that Ivanov bowed to those in power and fulfilled political orders.
Ivanov sued Kostadinov for BGN 26,000 as a partial claim of BGN 100,000. The decision of the Sofia City Court, issued by judge Gergana Koyumdzhieva in May, is not final and can be attacked by both Ivanov and Kostadinov. Because of the case, the reporter also sued the “Vazrazhdane” party for BGN 10,000 as a partial claim of BGN 50,000, but the court rejected this part of the claim.
After the rejected claims, Ivanov must pay BGN 693 to Kostadinov and another BGN 1,400 to “Vazrazhdane” for expenses. Kostadinov owes him BGN 825.
Kostadinov takes Ivanov at gunpoint after he reveals the lie that “Vazrazhdane” did not have a legal opportunity to renounce their party subsidy, which was their pre-election promise. In his reports, the reporter also deals with Kostadinov’s acquisition of an appetizing property near the seashore in Varna for BGN 200,000. There was also a prosecutor’s investigation into the party subsidy, which was, however, terminated in 2021 on the grounds that there was no crime.
In his claim, Ivanov says that from May 6 to 13, 2020, after his interview with Kostadinov was broadcast, he was the subject of a defamation campaign by “Vazrazhdane” and its leader. This harmed his honor, dignity and well-being a name he uses among his relatives, colleagues and in society.
“That’s how we met the Nova TV team, who filmed for about 4 hours to install commissioned material in an attempt to compromise Dr. Kostadin Kostadinov. We met a journalist – a victim of the times he lives in. A man who does what he’s told . Dependent on the system and those who pay him to produce unrealistic and misleading material, practicing in a country that ranks 111 in freedom of speech and is run by people nicknamed The Pumpkin, The Pig, The Dwarf. Unscrupulous and ready for anything, in order to stay in power, to continue looting insatiably,” Kostadinov claims.
It turns out that the video that Kostadinov posted and which has been on Eurocom TV’s website for 3 days was edited with subtitles that do not correspond to the truth.
The witnesses
A witness, Ivanov’s colleague, who was present at the interview, says that after the official conversation between Kostadinov and Ivanov ended and the TV cameras were turned off, the two began to talk amicably, and two of Kostadinov’s friends continued to film what was happening with their phones. Kostadinov turned the conversation to politics, to the fact that orders are fulfilled by journalists, etc. Ivanov spoke about his former boss on television, and his words were that she “bowed down to the herbalists”, so a scandal broke out between them, which is why he left the television.
This conversation does not correspond to the edited and broadcast on Facebook by Kostadinov. In the montage, one hears “I bowed down to the herbalists”, although Ivanov did not make such a statement.
T.G. also testified in the case, probably Tsoncho Genchev, as he explains that he is a co-founder of “Vazrazhdane”. He happened to be with Kostadinov during the interview. The leader of the party invited him to see his house, and there the Nova TV team was waiting for them. T.G. testified that the reporter started asking provocative questions with an extremely arrogant attitude and two cameras filmed Kostadinov. He invited everyone to the house. There were questions about the house, about the party subsidy, about Kostadinov’s appointment to the Regional History Museum.
Kostadinov also leads a witness who has a contract with “Vazrazhdane” with his advertising agency, who says that she heard Ivanov’s line “Yes, but I bowed down to the herbalists”. However, the court did not give credence to these testimonies, defining them as contradictory. In addition, there are expert reports in the case that show that Kostadinov’s record was manipulated.
What the court accepts
The court accepts, that the statements in the video addressed to Ivanov are offensive and defamatory. “The lack of sufficient factual basis to support the evaluative judgments means that in this case there is an abuse of freedom of speech, malice and making insulting personal attacks. This is culpable and illegal behavior,” the court decision reads.
According to the court, the expressions used by Kostadinov in regard to Ivanov go “far beyond the acceptable tone and language”, suggest “morally reprehensible, immoral and illegal behavior and affect the plaintiff’s legal sphere in an unacceptable way”.
In some of Kostadinov’s statements, the court did not find insult or defamation, although “expressive means were used, manifesting an extremely negative attitude towards Ivanov’s personality”.
The judge does not find fault with “Vazrazhdane”, as it is not established that Kostadinov fulfilled a party order by publishing the manipulated video about Ivanov.
2023-08-04 03:23:11
#leader #Vazrazhdane #convicted #defamation
