Victor Roncea Blog

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Am relatat in cateva randuri despre cazul ziaristului Marius Serban, agresat si inchis ilegal in Bulgaria in timpul unei documentari jurnalistice la “Nisipurile de Aur”, realizata fara sprijin de PR de la Rosia Montana Gold Corporation si Licks Ass. In urma confruntarii cu mafia locala s-a ales cu un dosar penal construit in baza unor marturii mincinoase iar acum risca cinci ani de inchisoare. Primul termen cu infatisarea partilor se judeca azi, in Bulgaria, unde jurnalistul independent va fi asistat si sustinut de consulul Romaniei in Bulgaria, ES Marius Dilof, Ministerul de Externe fiind extrem de receptiv si prompt la sesizarea Civic Media si a Federatiei Romane a Jurnalistilor MediaSind in Cazul Marius Serban. Nu acelasi lucru se poate spune, din pacate, despre asa-zisele “organizatii reprezentative” ale “breslei jurnalistice”, CRP-ul Indirei Crasnea, MMA-ul lui Mircea Toma sau, de ce nu?, activa “organizatie de elite” a lui Robert Turcescu, “Societatea Jurnalistilor Profesionisti”. Profesionistii spagii sunt inca osteniti dupa schimbarile prea lungi si dese de fuse orare si succese. Nu-i nimic, noroc ca Marius Serban are avocati si diplomati buni alaturi. Ii tinem pumnii. Public mai jos prezentarea cazului sau, preluata si distribuita de Asociatia Civic Media principalelor organizatii europene si americane de aparare a drepturilor jurnalistilor si libertatii presei in lume:

The Case of Marius Serban vs Bulgaria and bulgarian mafia

As a journalist and citizen of Romania, an European Union member country, and member of International Federation of Journalists (press card no. R 1158) as well as Romanian Federation of Journalists, FRJ-Mediasind, I will point you out an attack on press freedom, orchestrated by the authorities in Bulgaria, a serious case of abuse by the Bulgarian police and judiciary system in tight cooperation with local crime underworld which protect their “business” from any press investigation that could harm it.

Basically, the authorities in Bulgaria have produced me a criminal record (No. 7219/2009, the Court of Varna, Bulgaria) only because I tried to make some researches about illicit activities at Golden Sands Resort (Bulgaria) for a story on the problems face of Romanian nationality citizens vacationing on the Bulgarian coast.

This is in my opinion a very disturbing case considering that Bulgaria is a EU member state and intend to be soon a member of Schengen Agreement, even if is constantly monitor by the European Comission concerning Justice system problems. The repressive actions of Police and Justice system in Bulgaria against press freedom looks, in my opinion, more like those taken by the African states or even with The Peoples Court in ‘50 in Russia. Considering these facts, I condemn the abusive actions of the Bulgarian Police and Judicial Systems and I expose you this case.

The whole “story” have been orchestrated by the boss of the company managing car parking in Golden Sands (Tvetanka Hristova Vasilieva, Charles Darwin Street, no. 33, ap 2, Sofia, Bulgaria) in tight collaboration with with the police in Golden Sands and prosecutor in Varna.

The manufacture of criminal cases is a current practice of the Bulgarian authorities wich will do everything they can to intimidate journalists and other people, especially those of Romanian nationality.

Among the stratagems used for intimidation by the corrupt judicial system in Bulgaria we mention racist insults, the refuse to accept criminal complaints alleging lack of an appropriate interpreter, false witnesses, ignoring the evidence in the file, taking into consideration only the evidence provided by one side, etc.. All these are done in tight collaboration between local mafia, police, prosecutors and judges.

The first term in this case was established by the Bulgarian prosecutors from the Court of Varna on September 2, 2010.

In short, while I was in Golden Sands resort in Bulgaria documenting for an article about the practices of local mafia, my car, with my PRESS card posted visible in the window was illegally taken from the parking and deposited in a closed area. When I was back, I asked the employee of the parking for explanations. Instead of explaining me why my car was illegally lifted, the employees assaulted me.

Soon after, the police crew I called on the spot proved themselves extremely friendly with my aggressors and very harsh with me. They refused to give me a note about the incident or receive my complain against aggressors, arguing that it is not within their competence.

The scenario was repeated at the police station at Golden Sands where we (me and a Romanian colleague, my eye-witness) headed immediately after the incident.

Police refused again to receive my criminal complaint, arguing that they don’t have at that moment in the evening a Romanian interpret (this was a very strange thing considering that three quarters of the tourist in the Golden Sands resort are Romanians). The next day we found, however, that in the meantime, my abuser filed a complaint against me, accepted immediately by the police in which he claimed that I assaulted him.

Basically, I was suddenly transformed from a victim in an aggressor by a simply maneuver of the Bulgarian Police.

Later that day, I was arrested for 24 hours, humiliated, intimidated, forced to sign documents in Bulgarian (I refused to signed the statements submitted by the prosecutor, but I was forced to sign without an interpreter those of the police, because they said it was a condition in order to release me).

I would like to mention that the accusation act of the Bulgarian (extremely ridiculous in my opinion) prosecutor reflects only the statements of my abusers and do not take into consideration my statement or the statement of my eye-witness. The accusation act reflects the need of Bulgarian Justice to teach me a good lesson. Among the aggravating circumstances we can find something like “arrogant attitude concerning the wealth of the people” (?!).

Very strange, even if in the incident were involved only three men (me and two Bulgarian park employee) the prosecutor accepted no less than seven so called eye-witnesses (relatives of the accusers).

I must say I am 35 years old and I have a clean criminal record. I wasn’t involved in any incident until now, despite the fact that I traveled worldwide considering my profession. I’m a journalist for nearly eight years in which I spent almost five at Mediafax Press Agency (the main Romanian press agency), and two at Business Standard (local Handelsblatt Division), where I activated when the incident occurred. Currently I am the Chief-Editor at an online newspaper. I have got the bachelor degrees in Literature, Psychology and Arts and, and, also, three Master Degrees in Publicity, Arts and Movie Production.

I intend to submit memoranda to the European Commission, Council of Europe, International Federation of Journalists, Reporter Sans Frontieres, Society of Professional Journalists (USA), Transparency International, US State Department (wich monitor the state corruption level worldwide), the other professional organizations of journalists as well as to organizations and associations for the protection of human rights.

Since we are talking about an EU member state in this century, I believe that is an unacceptable attempt to silence the voice of mass-media orchestrated by the Bulgarian state. So, me along with journalist associations in Romania condemn this primitive and ruthless actions (but ridiculous in the same time) of the Bulgarian State, which is highly specialized in manufacture of criminal cases for those who disturb their illicit business.

Considering these flagrant violations of human rights and the attempt to silence the press, I kindly ask to keep in mind may case and provide me, if it’s possible, legal assistance in this case.

Sincerely,
Petre Marius Serban

Journalist,

Bucharest, Romania

E-mail: [email protected]
Mobile: +40734651765

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