IFJ calls Bulgarian authorities to protect the free speech

"The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have called on Bulgarian authorities to investigate the murder of journalist Boris Nikolov Tsankov" - this is the headline in one of Serbias B92's articles tonight.

It goes on
"The IFJ says the murder of Boris will undermine investigative journalism in Bulgaria as organized criminal gangs try to intimidate media through show of force and violence."

and adds that the IFJ has been joined in its demands by the European Federation of Journalists.

It is obviously a problem that a writer is shot down in the center of Sofia, no matter what is his criminal record, but it is also very problematic when international organisations like the IJF reacts like this without investigating further who Bobi Tsankov was. He was not an investigative journalist. That doesn't mean, of course, that it is safe for investigative journalists to work in Bulgaria if they write about the maffia - if he can be killed so can anyone. The killing of Bobi Tsankov was a horrible murder. But it was not an attack on free media.