The Bulgarian government controls state-owned media, an international human rights watchdog insists. In its yearly report, the International Helsinki Federation denounced the cabinet for having exercised political control over 2002. This is what Aaron Rhodes, executive director of the federation, said at a news conference on Monday.

According to him, the human rights report spanning Europe, Central Asia and Northern America found that Bulgaria failed to reform its judiciary. The paper also outlines that the gypsy minority of the country suffers growing discrimination and religious freedoms witness negative trends.

In addition, the federation mentioned flaws in the conditions of Bulgarian mental hospitals and child social institutions. It also does not approve of the limited access that asylum seekers allegedly get to shelters in Bulgaria.