Bulgaria’s National Service for Protection (NSP) has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the actions of security officers involved in an incident with a journalist from the PIK news agency, the service’s press office said on Thursday. The NSP said it had reviewed video footage of the incident released by PIK and other media outlets.
The footage shows Sonia Koltuklieva, a journalist from PIK news agency, falling onto the pavement after being pushed by an NSP officer as she tried to question Parliament Chair Mihaela Dotsova outside the headquarters of the Progressive Bulgaria party. The incident occurred after a meeting attended by Prime Minister Rumen Radev and other representatives of the ruling party, including Dotsova. As the Parliament Chair was getting into a car, Koltuklieva approached her with questions about the cancellation of a parliamentary hearing concerning an alleged drug trafficker pardoned by Iliana Iotova in her capacity as vice president in 2022.
When Dotsova entered the vehicle, the journalist opened the car door and was forcefully pushed away by a security officer, causing her to fall onto the pavement. The officer then got into the car, which drove away with Dotsova inside.
The NSP management has ordered a thorough investigation into the actions of the security officers involved. The strictest measures will be taken if any actions are found to have been disproportionate to the circumstances, the statement said. The competent Military Prosecution Office has also been notified.
Meanwhile, the NSP called for respect for the inviolability of the persons under its protection, noting that attempts to breach it require its officers to take action under the law. The service’s management has taken all necessary steps to establish the full circumstances of the incident, the press office said.
The Military Medical Academy said a journalist had been admitted to the emergency department where the necessary medical examinations, consultations and procedures were carried out to assess their condition. After these were completed, the patient was discharged for home treatment, the hospital said. It stressed that information about the patient’s health is a special category of personal data protected by medical confidentiality and cannot be disclosed or disseminated without the patient’s explicit consent.
Politicians condemned the actions of the officers involved, with some demanding resignations.
President Iliana Iotova strongly condemned what she described as an unacceptable and excessive response by an NSP officer towards journalist Sonia Koltuklieva, according to a statement released by her press secretariat. Such conduct is unacceptable and cannot be justified by the performance of official duties. Journalists must be able to do their work freely and without fear, Iotova said. She said she expected to receive the report from the investigation ordered into the incident as a matter of urgency, a full clarification of the circumstances and accountability if any violations were established. With the election campaign under way and political passions running high on all sides, she called on everyone to act responsibly and with restraint and to strictly observe the laws of the country.
Deputy Parliament Chair Atanas Atanassov, who is leader of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, called on Dotsova to resign. He cited as grounds what he described as an unacceptable assault and infliction of bodily injury on a journalist in Dotsova’s presence, without any humane response from her. Such insensitivity and inhumane treatment are incompatible with the position of Parliament Chair, Atanassov said in a Facebook post.
GERB leader Boyko Borissov said on Facebook: “What a disgrace! This job is not for amateurs! Push and clear out everyone who asks questions?! Resign!”
In a Facebook statement, the GERB-UDF parliamentary group also called on Dotsova to resign. The Chair of the National Assembly must be a guarantor of democratic principles, freedom of speech and human dignity. Regardless of the circumstances that led to the security officers’ intervention, Mihaela Dotsova’s lack of any visible human response or concern for the injured journalist is incompatible with the responsibilities of such a high public office, the statement said. It is unacceptable for a journalist to be knocked to the ground by the Parliament Chair’s security detail while the Chair herself leaves the scene without taking responsibility for what happened, GERB-UDF added. “Anyone who shirks responsibility has no place at the head of the Bulgarian Parliament,” the MPs said.
Ivaylo Mirchev MP of Democratic Bulgaria said on Facebook the NSP is tasked with protecting the country from hostile attacks, not with protecting those in power from questions. “This is not how things are done! You cannot knock someone to the ground and then simply walk past them as if nothing had happened. You cannot lay hands on a woman,” Mirchev wrote. He added that he strongly disagreed with Koltuklieva, including over her approach to journalism, but that nothing justified the use of force. Mirchev said the service reports to the President, and Iliana Iotova should ensure that those responsible are held accountable. He also said that all NSP officers were trained in first aid and that every service vehicle was equipped with everything necessary to provide it. If it was believed that the protected person had been attacked and the attacker neutralized, at least one NSP officer was required to remain at the scene until the competent authorities arrived.
Continue the Change leader Assen Vassilev described the incident as a case of “utter arrogance”.
Presidential candidate Andrey Gurov called for the resignation of the NSP Director, Gen. Emil Tonev, following Thursday’s incident. “Putting questions to those in power is not a crime. It is the foundation of democracy. People seeking answers from those who govern are not a threat to national security. Aggression and the use of force against them are entirely unacceptable and unprofessional, especially on the part of officers whose job is to ensure security,” Gurov said. He called for personal accountability from the service’s leadership, demanding Emil Tonev’s resignation.
Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who is also a presidential candidate, said on Facebook he was appalled by the conduct of the NSP and called for the President’s immediate resignation. The service is directly subordinate to the President’s institution, and the head of State bears responsibility, Kostadinov said. He said he expected President Iliana Iotova to resign and called on her to immediately withdraw from the presidential race. As for Parliament Chair Mihaela Dotsova, Kostadinov said he believed she should explain her own conduct. “I have often recalled that where the law ends, morality begins. It is time for Progressive Bulgaria to remember this, before it finally mutates into Aggressive Bulgaria,” the Vazrazhdane leader said.
Protection Service Orders Probe into Incident Involving Journalist; Politicians Condemn Officers’ Actions, Some Call for Resignations 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-22 19:49:57
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