On July 16, investigative journalist Boris Mitov and independent news outlet Mediapool, were ordered to pay over €20.000 to a judge for defamation. The lawsuit was filed in retaliation for the publication of a series of articles about the judge’s career and assets while he was seeking reappointment as the head of the Sofia Court. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounces the trial as a clear case of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) aimed at silencing journalists investigating matters of public interest.

This case dates back to 2018, when Boris Mitov, a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Bulgaria, published several articles on the news site Mediapool detailing the career and assets of Svetlin Mihailov – then president of one of the largest district courts in Bulgaria, the Sofia Court – as the judge sought to retain his position for a second term. The reports referenced investigations into the ambiguous circumstances surrounding the judge’s wealth and mentioned some of his controversial rulings.

In 2021, Boris Mitov and Mediapool were initially ordered to pay €34.000 in damages, which was later reduced to €2.000 on appeal. That 2022 ruling has just been overturned by the Supreme Court of Cassation, Bulgaria’s final court of appeal, which increased the damages by an additional sum of more than €8.000. After factoring in interest of €9.000 and legal costs of €3.000, the total sum now amounts to over €20.000. Boris Mitov’s only remaining legal recourse is to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Mediapool editor-in-chief Stoyana Georgieva, who was initially convicted alongside Boris Mitov, was acquitted on appeal and by the Supreme Court.

“After nearly four years of legal proceedings, investigative journalist Boris Mitov is being punished for simply doing his job. RSF denounces this clear SLAPP case, which sends the message that any criticism of a judge is grounds for punishment. This ruling could have a chilling effect on Mitov’s fellow journalists by leading them to self-censor — a dangerous breach of democratic safeguards," Pavol Szalai Head of the RSF EU-Balkans Desk.

Bulgaria ranks 70th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index. The country’s poor legal score is largely due to the use of SLAPPs against journalists.