The Golden Key Award for the most efficient use of the Access to Public Information Act by a journalist was presented to Ms. Zdravka Maslyankova from the regional newspaper Yantra Dnes (the Region of Veliko Tarnovo). Ms. Maslyankova was recognized for her use of the APIA to investigate and publish on the wrongdoings in a project for the construction of a chlorine  production factory that would eventually have a negative impact on people’s health. As a result of her investigation, the project was stopped. 

"The investigation took four months and ended when the investment company withdrew their investment proposal for 20 mln BGN. The Access to Public Information Act is an essential instrument for journalistic investigations in revealing and proving facts," said Ms. Maslyankova at the reception of the award.

Interview with Zdravka Maslyankova is published in AIP newsletter issue 9(141) for September 2015: The Instruments for the Investigation Are Not Important. The Public Impact Matters (in Bulgarian).



A Diploma for Exceptional Contribution to the Transparency and Accountability of the Institution was given to the crew of the “Lords of the Air” (Nova TV). They have used the APIA to follow up on the implementation of measures promised to be taken by certain institutions after wrongdoings had been revealed in the broadcast.

"I feel a little sad when we have to do such investigations because we have shown that those who should watch over everybody's safety, violate the law in a disgusting way. I want to encourage all citizens to exercise their right to know because this is the way to stop the wrongdoings within the institutions," emphasized Vladislav Vasilev, one of the reporters in the "Lords of the Air" crew.

Mr. Yulian Hristov from the OFFNews was recognized with an Honorary Diploma for using the APIA both for his everyday reporting and for thorough investigations. He has requested information from the Ministry of Interior, the National State Security Agency, the State Commission on Information Security, etc. 

"The institutions have become more transparent and careful to refuse access to information druing the past years. There is a place, however, where the information disappears like in a black hole. These are the security services which have retained ther habit for total secrecy. I wish that together with the help of AIP we would achieve opening of the archives of these services", Yulian Hristov said.

Mr. Spas Spasov – a correspondent of Dnevnik daily and Capital weekly for the region of Varna, was also given an Honorary Diploma. Spasov uses actively the Access to Information law to provide evidence for most of his publications.