Bulgaria's Ultra-nationalists Storm Editorial over Libel Article

Politics | February 24, 2007, Saturday // 00:00

Leader of Bulgaria's ultra-nationalist party Ataka broke into the editor's office of the 168 Hours and 24 Hours newspapers on Friday night together with 50 other party members.

Ataka leader Volen Siderov and his party members broke into the editorials because he wanted to deal in person with journalist, who wrote an article, in which they claim Ataka's arch enemy the ethnic Turkish party has paid Siderov BGN 1,6 M.

Siderov entered into the office of the editor-in-chief and demanded to be shown a document, which can prove the information about the given money is true and which journalist exactly has written it. When he wasn't presented with such document, he left.

Allegedly the Atakaists have stormed the building and started searching room by room for the author of the article. According to officials, the ultra-nationalists wanted an explanation from the "prostitutes" and "homosexuals" who worked for the newspapers.

The two newspapers will have to face court on a trial from Siderov, who accuses them of libel.

According to witnesses, not less than 150 people literally stormed the building and rushed into the editor-in-chief's office. On the other hand the vice-chairman of Ataka, Pavel Shopov claimed they just entered the building to hand a refutation and there was no "storming" and "breaking in".

An hour later police appeared to investigate the case.

When approached on the issue, leader Volen Siderov denied there was a mob of Atakaists and said several party members and he visited the editor-in-chief to hand him a letter of refute in connection with the article.

The article has provoked him to visit in person the editorial and find the document that states he received BGN 1,6 M from the Ethnic Turkish party, Siderov said. When the editor-in-chief said he did not have such document, Siderov just labeled the article as "contemptible libel".

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