Bulgaria NSO officer detained after journalist injured

National Service of Protection Sonya Koltuklieva Mihaela Dotova Sofia journalism freedom

An officer from the National Service of Protection (NSO) has been detained following an incident involving journalist Sonya Koltuklieva in Sofia. The incident occurred in front of the Progressive Bulgaria party headquarters when the officer pushed Koltuklieva while she was attempting to interview Mihaela Dotova, the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Koltuklieva was hospitalized at the Military Medical Academy with a dislocated shoulder and a concussion. Following the event, the NSO ordered an immediate and detailed inspection of its officials' activities. Martin Varadinov, an NSO officer, was detained and appeared for questioning by the Military Prosecutor's Office.

Mihaela Dotova visited Koltuklieva to express her regret, describing the incident as ‘absolutely unacceptable.’ Dotova stated she does not have the authority to command NSO employees' reactions and noted she was stressed when the journalist opened the vehicle door. The Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria has called for a fast and transparent investigation, noting that security personnel left the scene without checking on the victim's condition.

Entities

Boyko Borisov · Iliana Yotova · Martin Varadinov · Mihaela Dotova · Military Medical Academy · National Assembly of Bulgaria · National Security Service · National Service for Protection · National Service of Protection · Progressive Bulgaria · Sofia · Sonya Koltuklieva

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Dotova stated she does not have the authority to command NSO employees' reactions. pik.bg · www.standartnews.com · ruse.news
[● 3 SOURCES] Mihaela Dotova expressed regret for the incident and called it absolutely unacceptable. pik.bg · www.standartnews.com · ruse.news
[● 2 SOURCES] Boyko Borisov demanded the resignation of the responsible parties. petel.bg
[● 6 SOURCES] Journalist Sonya Koltuklieva was hospitalized with a dislocated shoulder and a concussion. petel.bg · www.standartnews.com · pik.bg · ruse.news
[○ 1 SOURCE] President Iliana Yotova condemned the NSO officer's reaction as unacceptable and disproportionate.
[● 8 SOURCES] An NSO officer pushed Koltuklieva while she was attempting to interview Mihaela Dotova. petel.bg · www.standartnews.com · trafficnews.bg · pik.bg · ruse.news · +2 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] Mihaela Dotova is considering resigning from her position as Speaker of the National Assembly.
[● 2 SOURCES] A pre-trial proceeding has been established regarding the case. ruse.news
[● 2 SOURCES] The NSO has ordered an immediate and detailed inspection of its officials' activities. ruse.news
[● 2 SOURCES] Martin Varadinov, an NSO officer, was detained and appeared for questioning. ruse.news
[● 5 SOURCES] The incident occurred in front of the Progressive Bulgaria party headquarters. ruse.news · trafficnews.bg · www.actualno.com · petel.bg