Mine director in Serbia assaults Bulgarian TV crew, 15 June 2022

A TV crew from the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), holding regular accreditation from the Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information, was assaulted at the entrance to the Podvirove Mine...The reporters were on assignment to cover pollution in the region for the Sledite Ostavat (Traces Remain) investigative journalism show.

The crew included presenter Bogdana Lazarova, cameramen Dimitar Slavov and Nikolay Andreev, and technician Robert Vetsov.

The other victims of the attack were environmentalists Dimitar Kumanov of the Balkanka Fishing Club in Sofia, Dr Valentin Yanev, Branko Mitov, and Dimitar Dimitrov of Bosilegrad.

On their way to the mine, the BNT crew was cut off by another vehicle some 50 m away from the entrance. The journalists and the environmentalists left their car and headed for the mine on foot. At that point, six or seven people, including Bosil-Metal Company Director Miodrag Vukajlovic, started hurling rocks at them.

One of the rocks hit a camera. Dimitrov was punched in the chest, while Mitov had his clothes torn apart.

The local police have been notified of the incident. Bulgaria's Consul General in Nis Dimitar Tsanev arrived on the scene to help the victims.

Karamanica is near the intersection of the borders of Serbia, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The locals have been complaining of wastewater from the lead-and-zinc ore processing being discharged into the River Dragovistica, a tributary of the Struma which is the principal water source of the Kyustendil Lowland in neighbouring Bulgaria. People living in the area (mostly ethnic Bulgarians) are urging the competent Bulgarian institutions to intervene.