Balgarianovinite.com Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) called on journalists and the public to join a protest in solidarity with bTV morning show hosts Maria Tsantsarova and Zlatimir Yochev on Friday. The group said the action would be held outside the broadcaster’s newsroom amid reports that Tsantsarova may be taken off air.
The reason, the statement said, is the widely circulated reports that Tsantsarova, and likely her colleague Yochev, are being removed as hosts of bTV’s morning programme This Morning. Tsantsarova has been the target of political attacks for years, and AEJ-Bulgaria has repeatedly defended her. For months, tabloid media have been running a campaign against her, including by spreading claims that she would be taken off air, the statement added.
“We are concerned about the risk of yet another purge of critical voices from Bulgaria’s national airwaves. We urge bTV’s management to take a prudent decision that serves the public interest and complies with the laws safeguarding freedom of expression. We also remind that Bulgaria must fulfil its obligations under the European Media Freedom Act, which protects media outlets, public and private alike, from political interference. Unfortunately, what is happening with Maria creates precisely that impression: yet another heavy-handed act of political pressure against independent journalism in Bulgaria. We call on colleagues in bTV’s newsroom and across the media sector, as well as on Bulgarian citizens who care about the country’s democratic processes, to join us and show solidarity with the hosts,” the statement said.
“Freedom of speech is not a matter of convenience. It is a risk, for journalists and for politicians alike. Maria Tsantsarova is a journalist with integrity and her own views. Her interviews show that a strong politician should not fear journalistic scrutiny. The conclusion is that a strong politician understands that comfortable silence is the most dangerous thing. That is why transparency is essential and trust is fragile. That is why we should obtain the media outlet’s position as soon as possible, so there is no speculation on the matter,” Denitsa Sacheva of the GERB-UDF parliamentary group wrote on social media.
“Freedom of speech is defended with transparency and principles, and above all with the courage to ask questions and the courage to accept the answers,” Sacheva added.
Elisaveta Belobradova of Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria described Tsantsarova as “a real journalist.” Writing on social media, she addressed journalists more broadly, saying: “This is an act directed at you — yet another one. And silence in this case is an assessment of the act, an assessment of the violence.”
BTA requested comment from bTV. The broadcaster said it is in talks with Tsantsarova and is discussing options for developing programme content with her active involvement in the new year, which it described as standard practice. “Claims that Maria Tsantsarova and Zlatimir Yochev have been dismissed are untrue and categorically do not reflect the facts,” bTV said.
After it became public that bTV’s management was considering taking Maria Tsantsarova off the morning broadcast, the Faculty of Slavic Studies said such decisions are not merely internal policy but affect the foundations of public debate.
Removing a journalist known for persistently asking difficult questions, at a time of heightened public and political pressure, cannot be treated as a routine programming change, the Faculty argued. It said this risks normalizing pressure on critical speech and narrowing debate.
The Faculty called on bTV to provide a public, specific explanation and a clear guarantee that editorial independence is not being replaced by conformism, and expressed solidarity with journalists and newsrooms that insist on the right to ask questions.
In late September 2025, an international fact-finding mission by press-freedom organizations visited Sofia and concluded that Bulgaria remains among the EU countries with the most serious media-freedom deficits. Speaking at a news conference at the BTA National Press Club, AEJ-Bulgaria’s Irina Nedeva said journalists were increasingly being denied interviews and answers to critical questions, and were facing delays and hostility when seeking information. BTA has also reported that Bulgaria fell from 59th to 70th place in the Reporters Without Borders media-freedom index, with the RSF assessment pointing to persistent intimidation of journalists, risks to editorial independence in both public and private media, and pressure through SLAPP cases. Journalists Stand Up for bTV Hosts as Media Freedom Concerns Rise 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-19 19:12:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
