RUSE - Hundreds of Bulgarians
queued silently at a church in Ruse on Friday to pay their last
respects to Viktoria Marinova, the television journalist whose
brutal rape and murder shocked the country and triggered debates
over freedom of the press.
The body of the 30-year-old Marinova, a host of a regional
current affairs show at a local TV station, was found in a park
near the Danube port of Ruse, her hometown, on Saturday. Police
said she had been raped, beaten and strangled.
A Bulgarian man, Severin Krasimirov, 20, was arrested in
Germany over the killing, and German authorities said he would
be extradited to stand trial in Bulgaria soon.
Bulgarian prosecutors said no evidence indicated Marinova's
death was related to her work. A random attack and sexual
assault were the most likely motive, they said, although they
were still investigating all possibilities.
In her last aired show, Marinova featured investigative
journalists and pledged to engage in similar work, which stoked
fears about retribution against journalists exposing corruption.
Picture: Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo.
She is the third journalist to be killed in the European
Union within a year.
More than 500 grieving Ruse citizens, carrying red and white
carnations and funeral wreaths, flocked to her funeral service
at the Sveta Troitsa (Holy Trinity) Cathedral.
People who knew her talked about her determination,
responsibility and kindness, her charitable work and commitment
to social causes such as support for disabled and disadvantaged
children, about which she also reported.
"Viktoria's death is a great loss for the whole city,"
Zornitsa Koleva, 48, said.
A woman identified as the mother of slain television journalist Viktoria Marinova, name not available, left, cries during a religious service prior to her daughter's funeral, in Ruse, Bulgaria, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Picture: Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo.
"She was so kind and ambitious at the
same time. We all need to be united and show that we will do our
best to prevent this from happening again in Ruse."
RAMPANT GRAFT
The murder heightened emotions among Bulgarians frustrated
by a lack of clear progress in fighting rampant graft.
On Friday, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said the company at
the heart of the investigation into alleged high-level
corruption and misuse of EU funds that was featured on
Marinova's show, should be taken out of all projects with EU aid
and public financing.
"My political will extends to that: to take out of the
tenders anyone suspected in wrongdoing and is under
investigation...I will not allow my name to be stained," he told
reporters.
Earlier on Friday, German authorities approved Krasimirov's
extradition, which should happen within 10 days..
The suspect told German magistrates he had hit a woman he
did not know while drunk and on drugs but denied intending to
kill her, rape her or rob her. His mother, however, said he had
told he had killed the journalist.
Women cry during a religious service for slain television journalist Viktoria Marinova prior to her funeral, in Ruse, Bulgaria, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Picture: Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo.
Bulgaria's Justice Ministry said the transfer of the suspect
to Bulgaria is expected to take place next week at the earliest.
Marinova's murder revived debate over the extent of press
freedom in the Black Sea state, ranked 111 out of 180 countries
this year in a world press freedom index compiled by Reporters
Without Borders.
Bulgaria also ranks worst in the EU for violence against
women, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.
- Additional reporting by
Michelle Martin in Berlin and Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia