site.btaAnti-corruption Fund Announces Awards for Journalism against Corruption

The Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF) announced Tuesday the winners of its Red Line award for journalism against corruption. The ceremony took place on December 9 which is observed worldwide as International Anti-Corruption Day, the organization said in a press release. 

Six journalists and two investigative organizations were honored for works selected from among 129 nominations in four categories: an award for investigating corruption, an award for upholding the rule of law, an award for regional journalism, and an award for young journalists.

The grand prize for investigative journalism exposing corruption or conflict of interest was awarded to the journalists from BIRD (Bureau for Investigative Reporting and Data) and the civic movement BOEC for their work on a series of reports about dependencies within the judicial system, including the property holdings of the family of Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. Their work analyzing the archive of Petyo "The Euro" Petrov, a broker of influence in the judiciary, was also recognized. The works reveal links to politicians and individuals such as Christoforos "Taki" Amanatidis.

The special award for investigative journalism went to Vidka Atanasova from Radio Free Europe for a series of stories concerning the activities of the Union of Bulgarian Teachers, chaired by Yanka Takeva. The reports reveal that the union’s main activity is in the real estate sector, often involving properties purchased under questionable conditions from individuals with criminal backgrounds or acquired through court proceedings as assets of the socialist-era teachers’ union. Numerous wrongful practices were exposed, including collecting membership fees without documentation, complete lack of transparency in spending nearly BGN 20 million annually, and Takeva’s connections to organizations sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act.

A special certificate for investigative journalism exposing corruption or conflict of interest was awarded to Desislava Nikolova from Capital.bg for a series of articles about corruption in the healthcare sector, including draining the National Health Insurance Fund by large-scale use of medical devices of questionable effectiveness at massively inflated prices, and misuse of specialized life-saving equipment to the detriment of patients and the public.

For a second year in a row, the regional journalism award went to Venelina Popova of the regional journalism network Za istinata (“For the Truth”). Popova was recognized for her courage and persistence in covering topics of high public importance, such as manipulation of the electoral process in small settlements and significant air pollution in the municipality of Galabovo, including by the Brikel power plant owned by energy mogul Hristo Kovachki.

“Because of her work, Venelina Popova has for years been subjected to threats from institutions and people in power, and this year she became the target of a type of SLAPP suit after the mayor of Galabovo lied in court,” said Boyko Stankushev, director of the Anti-Corruption Fund (ACF). “The ACF team expresses its solidarity with Venelina and calls on representatives of local and judicial authorities to respect the work of journalists and citizens’ right to be informed,” he added.

The regional journalism category this year was also supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Bulgaria.

“Regional journalism is the terrain where the media interact with the factors that shape citizens’ daily lives. Local journalists are the eyes and ears of society close to the people,” said Sara Gry Andersen, Deputy Head of Mission and First Secretary at the Danish Embassy  in Sofia. “Strong and independent local media outlets are the best guarantee of an informed citizenry,” she added.

The award for upholding the rule of law went to Maya Dimitrova from Bulgarian National Television for her film Architects of Chaos, exposing a disinformation machine reaching thousands of people. Dimitrova was also recognized for a series of reports revealing systemic Russian propaganda in Bulgarian education. The initiatives, some involving children wearing Russian military uniforms, are funded by the Russian state and church, included in the Ministry of Education’s calendar, and undermine the right to access quality education.

This year’s “Young Journalist” award went to Tatyana Yordanova from Nova Television for a series of reports on property and financial fraud targeting foreign citizens, as well as credit fraud and inadequate institutional response to the problem.

A special certificate for young journalist was awarded to Katerina Vasileva from Radio Free Europe for a series of stories about violations of the electoral process in favor of corporate or political interests.

Tatyana Yordanova received an additional award from Nathanael Copsey, the British Ambassador to Bulgaria. Ambassador Copsey described the “Red Line” awards as a vivid example of the important role journalism plays in defending democracy in Bulgaria.

“The past weeks have shown us the power of public sentiment. People are calling for integrity, transparency, and accountability—principles that are not optional but essential. Corruption must not be tolerated. Change will not come overnight, but together we can achieve progress.”

The winners were selected by a jury including Zlatka Stefanova, a lawyer; Konstantin Karadzhov, a journalist; Krasen Nikolov, journalist at Mediapool.bg; Lyubomir Alamanov, a PR expert; and Lora Georgieva, a legal expert at the ACF.

The “Red Line” journalism competition against corruption is organized with the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Bulgaria, and the Embassy of the United Kingdom.