Protected Bulgarian Crimelords Are Suing OneCoin Whistleblowers

Bulgarian organized crime figures are weaponizing the courts to silence journalists exposing their links to the collapsed OneCoin scheme and complicit state officials.

The lawsuits came swiftly after reporters from BIRD uncovered damning evidence in February: Bulgarian authorities had protected criminals while investigating corruption claims against top police and prosecutors. Instead of launching investigations, Attorney General Ivan Geshev dismissed the whistleblower reports as "an alleged plot to incriminate him and high-ranking magistrates and police officers."

At the heart of BIRD's investigation is Christophoros Amanatidis-Taki, a Bulgarian crimelord now believed hiding in Dubai. According to leaked police documents from a safe kept by Lyubomir Ivanov, former head of Bulgaria's criminal division, Taki ordered the murder of OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova in November 2018. Ivanov was shot dead in March 2022 under unclear circumstances.

The documents reveal Taki had protection at the highest levels. Mikhail Naumov, head of Bulgaria's Federal Homicide Department, enjoyed a close friendship with Taki and received lavish gifts—luxury yacht trips funded by Taki and his network. Bulgarian prosecutors acknowledged the documents were authentic but claimed no one was investigating Ignatova's death or the corruption surrounding Naumov.

Days after BIRD published its findings, lawsuits arrived. Razmig Kerope Chakaryan, an associate of Taki's who wasn't even mentioned in the original reporting, filed two lawsuits against BIRD reporter Dimitar Stoyanov and three against editor-in-chief Atanas Tchobanov. A sixth lawsuit targeted Nikolay Marchenko from Bivol.bg. Each demanded 10,000 Bulgarian levs (roughly 5,130 euros) for defamation and "moral damage."

The lawsuits targeted individual journalists rather than their news organizations—a tactic known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, BIRD's parent organization, labeled them exactly that. The International Press Institute called them "retaliatory and vexatious legal actions intended to pressure legitimate watchdog reporting."

The court filings weren't Stoyanov and Tchobanov's only problem. Bulgarian authorities moved in parallel. Attorney General Geshev escalated pressure on the journalists themselves, signaling that whistleblowing would carry a price.

The pattern is clear: report on organized crime and state corruption, get sued by criminals with state protection. The message to journalists is simple—stay quiet or face legal warfare.

🤖 Quick Answer

Who are the Bulgarian crimelords suing OneCoin whistleblowers?

Why did Bulgarian authorities dismiss whistleblower reports?
Attorney General Ivan Geshev dismissed whistleblower reports as "an alleged plot to incriminate him and high-ranking magistrates and police officers." This dismissal occurred after BIRD uncovered evidence suggesting Bulgarian authorities had protected criminals while investigating corruption claims against top police and prosecutors.

What did BIRD journalists uncover in February?
BIRD journalists discovered damning evidence that Bulgarian authorities had protected organized crime figures while simultaneously investigating corruption allegations against high-ranking police

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