Deputy foreign minister protests Russia's decision to declare bulgarian journalist wanted

Deputy Foreign Minister Kostadin Kodzhabashev expressed an official protest against the Russian Federation's decision to declare Bulgarian citizen Christo Grozev wanted, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova, was summoned earlier in the day to the department.

Kodzhabashev pointed out that Bulgaria was not officially informed about the decision to declare the journalist wanted and demanded to know the reasons for this as soon as possible. Ambassador Mitrofanova indicated that an inquiry should be made to the competent authorities of the Russian Federation regarding the specific grounds.

The Foreign Ministry explicitly noted that the decision is perceived as directed against freedom of speech and the media, as well as an attempt to intimidate a Bulgarian citizen.

During the meeting, the Bulgarian side also noted that against the background of the inclusion of Bulgaria in the list of so-called "enemy countries" of the Russian Federation, the decision to declare Grozev as wanted further undermines bilateral relations, and that is not due to Bulgaria's fault. Emphasis was also placed on the strong response to the case in Bulgaria, which is a sign that the Bulgarian people are not okay with a violation of basic human rights, the Foreign Ministry added.

The Deputy Minister also raised the matter of the discontinued study of  Bulgarian language in schools in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, and expressed strong indignation at the actions to remove portraits of Bulgarian national heroes and other Bulgarian symbols from the educational spaces.

At the beginning of the meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday, caretaker Prime Minister Minister Gulab Donev stated that the State, through its institutions, was in constant contact with journalist Christo Grozev long before his situation became a hot news topic. On Wednesday, the President's press office said  that measures had been taken to ensure Grozev's security, including through cooperation with partner services