Bulgaria: News Outlet Mediapool Sued For Record Half A Million Euros – CFWIJ Calls For Authorities To Enact Anti-SLAPP Policies
Location: Bulgaria, Sofia
Date: March 8, 2023
Bulgarian insurance company Lev Ins sues independent media platform Mediapool for half a million euros. Insurance company claims that article by Tsvetelina Sokolova on international insurance for motorists (Green Pass) caused reputational damage. It is the largest-ever compensation claim made against a media company in Bulgaria. This lawsuit could potentially bankrupt the small, privately owned news outlet. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls for the case to be dismissed and for Bulgarian authorities to enact anti-SLAPP policies immediately.
On March 8, insurance company Lev Ins launched a civil lawsuit against Mediapool, suing the media platform for €500,000. The lawsuit concerns an article by Tsvetelina Sokolova from 27 September 2022 about international motorist insurance Green Pass. The article reported concerns expressed by acting Minister of Finance, Rositza Velkova that Bulgaria, and hundreds of thousands of motorists, could lose rights under the ‘Green Card’ system, and included quotes about the track record of Lev Ins on the matter. The quotes from the Minister were taken from a transcript of a public meeting which was stated in the article.
Lev Ins claims to have suffered reputational damage from the report, especially by quote: “There is a serious risk that our national bureau will be excluded from the ‘Green Card’ system at the next General Assembly, respectively from next year it will stop issuing ‘Green Cards’ for Bulgarian insurers”. The company and its CEO had declined a right to reply offered by Mediapool before publication and responded: "You will get an answer to your biased questions and the information in your story in court”.”
The author of the article, Dr. Tsvetelina Sokolova is a journalist who covers finance and economics, with over 17 years of experience in Bulgarian print and online media. She worked for newspapers "Sega" and "Trud", and is currently an editor at Mediapool. She is also part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication of Sofia University.
Mediapool owner and editor-in-chief, Stoyana Georgieva, said: “It is deeply disturbing that we are going to court because of a quote from a minister, contained in a transcript of a meeting of the Council of Ministers”, adding: “Given that the case described in the article has been covered for years by Mediapool and the journalistic text presents all the facts with utmost correctness, it can only be concluded that the sole purpose of filing the case is to intimidate the media, but also the entire journalistic community and every independent voice that took the liberty of speaking about the problems with the Green Card system”
Alexander Kashamov, executive director of the NGO Access to Information Programme, who will defend Mediapool before the court, said that this claim is the largest claimed compensation against a media in the history of Bulgaria.” Mediapool is an independent media outlet with 11 employees. The requested damages would bankrupt the company.
A classic example of SLAPP case
The Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ Bulgaria) stated that it is a classic example of a SLAPP case. They urged Lev Ins to withdraw their claim. "It is ridiculous when a media organization gets sued for quoting a minister and citing an official verbatim record.”
"The actions of the insurance company make one think that their true goal is to discourage the media and journalists in general from writing about this company in the face of a risk to be sued for the colossal BGN 1 million (€500,000)," the AEJ says.
They point out that news of the unprecedented claim against Mediapool comes only a day after the Council of Europe Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists put out its annual report saying that journalists and media outlets in Bulgaria, among several other countries, are increasingly sued for defamation. According to AEJ Bulgaria, if Bulgaria had a working system for limiting SLAPP cases, the case against Mediapool would have ended very quickly. "Unfortunately, the Bulgarian legislation does not provide for an easy way to handle such cases."
The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on courts to dismiss this case against Mediapool immediately. Journalists should be free to report and quote officials in public meetings without fear of legal harassment. We urge the Bulgarian government to counteract the frequent use of SLAPPs in the country. These lawsuits are designed to limit press freedom by dragging journalists into costly legal proceedings they can rarely afford. Authorities should support the EU’s proposed legislation that will establish safeguards against SLAPP cases.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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