The South East Europe Media Organisation - a regional media organisation, and a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, new media and news agencies from South East and Central Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI) - condemns the recent physical attack on 23-year-old journalist Dimitar Vurbanov, of the bTV programme Lords of the Airwaves, in Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria.

Vurbanov has been working as a journalist for bTV for four years. On February 10 2010, Vurbanov intended to have an interview with a construction
entrepreneur after the programme received alerts from families living in Veliko Turnovo who had contracts with the construction entrepreneur for new flats that they had not received even after payment was made.

After the construction entrepreneur introduced himself as a common builder, he hit Vurbanov on the head with a hammer.
After the hammer attack, Vurbanov was directly taken to the local hospital. An ambulance and three police cars arrived soon after they were alerted by the cameraman. The alleged perpetrator was arrested and taken into police custody.

SEEMO strongly condemns the physical attack on Vurbanov.

It is very alarming that journalists in Bulgaria seem to be threatened and attacked on a regular basis and within a short timeframe.
SEEMO welcomes the quick reaction of the police who arrested the alleged perpetrator and urges the Bulgarian authorities to do everything in their power to secure safe working conditions for journalists and to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

SEEMO Secretary
General Oliver Vujovic
Vienna