Bulgarian TV Channel Fined for Defamation of Jehovah's Witnesses

The Bulgarian television and radio company SKAT (National Television SKAT) was found guilty of spreading false information and threats against Jehovah's Witnesses. On January 25, 2016, the Commission for Protection against Discrimination found that as many as six programs aired on the company several years ago contained serious defamation, discrimination and violations of journalistic ethics that "cannot be justified." As a result, a fine was imposed on the TV company and two journalists.

Believers are convinced that these programs, which were broadcast on the cable channel SKAT TV in 2010-11, caused a serious surge of aggression and violence against them. They accused civilians of heinous crimes that they did not actually commit. These materials received great publicity in the Bulgarian society.

The SKAT openly encouraged religious violence and extremism. In 2011, one report justified attacks on a worship building in the city of Burgas and other acts of violence. Then, we recall, the crowd severely beat some of those present at the service, they had to be hospitalized. But the broadcaster expressed approval of the attackers and said that Jehovah's Witnesses deserve such treatment. After such reports, acts of violence and vandalism throughout the country became sharply more frequent, and individual officials even began to issue discriminatory decrees.

As a result, believers filed a complaint with the Bulgarian Commission for Protection against Discrimination, and this complaint was fully satisfied. Stingray refused to admit its guilt, which is why the amount of the fine became significantly higher than usual.

The believers are grateful to the Commission for the fair decision and hope that it will help stem the flow of insults and attacks to which they are subjected by some biased or ill-informed journalists. "It is important that people hear the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses," said a representative of a religious organization in Bulgaria.