Second arson attack on Bulgarian television journalist’s car
Bulgarian television journalist Genka Shikerova’s car was burnt out in an apparent arson attack soon after midnight on April 2 2014, the second such attack after her car was set on fire in September 2013.
No arrests have been made in connection with the September 2013 attack.
Investigators said that in the case of the April 2 attack, the car was set alight after a large amount of petrol was poured over it.
Efforts by neighbours, as well as firefighters who arrived rapidly at the scene, to extinguish the blaze did not prevent the vehicle being completely burnt out.
Police suspected that the arson attack, outside Shikerova’s home in the Geo Milev residential district of Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia, was probably linked to her work as a journalist.
However, Ivailo Spiridonov, head of the Sofia directorate of the Interior Ministry, said that there could be no comment about the evidence until forensic investigations were complete.
Police were continuing to collect evidence and would interview the man who called emergency number 112 to report the fire, he said.
Shikerova, on air on her morning programme on bTV, said that she felt terrible about the incident but was glad that she had not been harmed.
The September 2013 arson of Shikerova’s car was identified by a number of human rights organisations as an attack on freedom of speech in Bulgaria.
Watchdog organisation Reporters without Borders cited it as among its reasons for lowering Bulgaria’s ranking in the freedom of speech stakes to 100th place worldwide – and lowest in the European Union.
