Journalist Sonya Koltuklieva was hospitalized after a National Protection Service (NSO) officer forcefully threw her to the ground as she tried to question Parliamentary Speaker Mihaela Dotsova outside the headquarters of Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party in Sofia, according to footage circulated on social media and reports by the news agency PIK.
The incident occurred on Hristo Botev Boulevard shortly after Radev held an emergency press briefing about a critical European Parliament declaration concerning his policies toward Moscow. Journalists had gathered outside the party headquarters to ask Dotsova about the repeated postponement of parliamentary hearings into pardons granted by Iliaana Yotova while she was vice president.
Koltuklieva asked Dotsova why she had derailed the hearings twice. The Speaker did not respond and quickly entered her official vehicle. As Dotsova shut the door, the PIK reporter approached, filming with her phone and attempting to open it to continue asking questions.
"Why are you afraid? Come out and talk to us," Koltuklieva said.
Video footage shows an NSO officer pushing the journalist away with considerable force and throwing her onto her back. Witnesses nearby shouted in protest, demanding to know what the security personnel were doing and calling them brutes.
Dotsova drove away in her official limousine with its lights and siren activated, without checking on Koltuklieva or offering assistance. Neither the security personnel nor anyone at the party headquarters came to the journalist's aid as she lay motionless on the sidewalk in front of horrified passersby. An ambulance subsequently took her to the Military Medical Academy.
According to PIK, Koltuklieva suffered a concussion, a broken collarbone and a dislocated shoulder. Earlier reports had also indicated a suspected concussion and shoulder dislocation.
The video quickly spread across social media, attracting tens of thousands of views and comments. Journalists condemned the officer’s actions as unacceptable.
The incident prompted the NSO to order an immediate investigation after reviewing footage published by PIK and other media outlets. The Service also notified the competent Military Prosecutor’s Office.
In its statement, the NSO called for respect for the privacy and security of people under its protection, while saying its personnel must respond in accordance with the law to attempts to breach that protection. The Service’s leadership said it had taken the necessary steps to establish the full circumstances of the incident and warned that the strictest measures would follow if officers were found to have acted contrary to the requirements of the situation.
The assault has also drawn strong criticism from politicians across the political spectrum. Atanas Atanasov, leader of Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (DSB), called for Dotsova to resign in a Facebook post, citing the physical injury inflicted on a journalist and the Speaker’s failure to show concern for her condition.
"Such callousness and inhumane behavior are incompatible with the position of Speaker of the Parliament," Atanasov wrote.
Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov also called for Dotsova’s resignation in a Facebook post, condemning the use of force against a journalist asking questions.
"A disgrace! This job is not for amateurs! Shoving and clearing away anyone who asks a question?! Resignation!" Borissov wrote.
Asen Vassilev said the incident showed a complete loss of perspective and urged voters to use Sunday’s vote to demonstrate that the state did not belong to those in power.
Kornelia Ninova described the assault as shocking and unacceptable, accusing Dotsova of leaving Koltuklieva on the sidewalk and walking away without concern. She called for the Speaker’s resignation and criticized Radev and his associates, saying the incident illustrated what could happen to people who asked uncomfortable questions or opposed the government.
Ivaylo Mirchev from Democratic Bulgaria condemned the NSO officer’s use of force, saying that a person could not be knocked to the ground and then abandoned. Although he said he strongly disagreed with Koltuklieva and her journalistic methods, he stressed that this did not justify the treatment she received.
Mirchev called the NSO’s response unacceptable and urged President Iliana Yotova to demand an explanation and hold those responsible accountable. He said the Service should defend the state against hostile attacks rather than protect people in power from questions.
Bozhidar Bozhanov, Yes Bulgaria, also denounced the officer’s conduct, describing it as disgraceful and saying the most serious failure was leaving an injured person on the ground before driving away. He said the issue was not the reporter’s opinions but basic decency and the professionalism of the security service.
Bozhanov called for an immediate and unequivocal response from the NSO director, Yotova, who oversees the Service, and the Speaker of the National Assembly.
The incident is the second reported confrontation involving security personnel protecting figures from Radev’s administration. The first took place in Strumyani this summer, when civic activist and journalist Gergana Petrova was detained after trying to ask the prime minister questions.
Further reading: Journalist Detained During Radev Visit, Bulgaria's PM Orders Probe