Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) banned the airing on TV and in  internet of a controversial video of the nationalist party Ataka. 

The video, which is part of Ataka's campaign for the European elections, depicts the supposed dichotomy between the Euro-Atlantic and the Christian Orthodox values. The video claims the former equals pedophilia, gay marriages and incest, while the latter promotes family values and tradition. 

CEC issued the ban, after the electronic media watchdog (CEM) referred the matter to it. 

“This is a case of hate speech,” CEM chairperson Georgi Lozanov told reporters. “Its aim is to vilify the EU. The video represents sexual orientations and even crimes such as pedophilia as values, which is misleading. The EU stands for cultural liberalism, which allows people to freely choose their sexual orientation and their political preferences.”

Bulgaria's Radio and Television Act requires the distributors of media services not to transmit messages inspiring hatred based on national, ethnic or racial origin, political preferences, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disabilities and age. 

Earlier this week the same video sparked another controversy after a family recognised in it footage from their church wedding, used without their permission. Daniel and Antoanela Belovarski told the media they were shocked  to see parts of their wedding in the video they uploaded on YouTube for private use and said they were considering suing the company, which produced it.

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