Bulgarian Investigative Journalist Sonya Koltuklieva Faces Coordinated Online Attack and Censorship
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- юли 20, 2025
Prominent Bulgarian investigative journalist Sonya Koltuklieva has become the target of what she describes as a large-scale, politically motivated cyber-attack aimed at silencing her voice. In a powerful public statement shared on social media, Koltuklieva revealed that her main Facebook profile has been blocked — just months after her oldest profile was also taken down — in what she believes is a coordinated effort by political operatives linked to the “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” coalition (PP-DB).
“They’ve mobilized an army of trolls and a bot machine to attack me. They blocked my main Facebook profile after already destroying my oldest one. And they’ve written a long, tedious list of talking points against me,” she wrote in an impassioned post.
Her statement, filled with defiance and emotion, recounts decades of intimidation, censorship, and violence against her as a journalist — including being sprayed with toxic substances, threatened by politicians and businessmen, physically assaulted, and subjected to cyber warfare.
“What are you afraid of?” she asks rhetorically. “You fear my influence. You fear the truth I expose. You fear the growing popularity of PIK Media. You fear me.”
In a striking coincidence — or perhaps part of the same orchestrated campaign — one of the main Facebook pages of independent Bulgarian news agency Top Press (www.toppresa.com) was also blocked during the same time period, raising serious concerns about targeted censorship against independent media outlets in Bulgaria.
Koltuklieva has built a reputation as a fearless reporter with a sharp investigative instinct. Over her decades-long career, she says she has never been sued for slander or misinformation — in fact, she notes, she has successfully sued a now-deceased TV presenter for spreading lies about her. But this time, she warns, the attack is not just personal. It’s systemic.
“I know what it’s like to have the entire state machine crash down on you with full force. I’ve been there — alone, without political backing, without a party or a protector. I fell and I rose again,” she wrote. “It’s painful, but at least I owe nothing to anyone except the people who believe in me.”
Among the most emotionally charged moments of her statement, she recounts being kicked during a political event in Sofia, being pushed by a political supporter and suffering three fractures in her leg, and — years ago — being bitten by a leopard while filming in Moscow.
“They can spit, insult, scream, and hate — but they won’t stop me,” she declares. “You cannot be the censor and mentor of Sonya Koltuklieva. No one is.”
Her words echo with a fierce commitment to press freedom and the right to challenge the powerful. “I do not write to please anyone. I write because it’s who I am. I’m a lone rider, just like Alexandra Sarchadzhieva once called me. I won’t adjust to fit expectations.”
The journalist closed her message with gratitude to those who engage in thoughtful dialogue: “Welcome are those who challenge me with arguments, who correct my errors, who share knowledge. I love people I can learn from.” To the rest, she offers a sharp farewell: “Go report how many insults you’ve posted next to my name. Collect your daily fee. Just don’t bother me.”
As Bulgaria prepares for another volatile political season, the case of Koltuklieva — and the simultaneous restriction of independent media platforms like Top Press — raises serious concerns for press freedom advocates and international observers alike.
“This is the reality,” she writes. “I mind my work — and I’m entertained by your agony.”
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