12 citizens, journalists, NGOs and institutions received AIP's annual Right to Know Day awards
Access to Information Champions 2022
12 citizens, journalists, NGOs and institutions received AIP's annual Right to Know Day awards
07 October 2022
Access to Information Programme presented the annual awards to Freedom of Information Champions in Bulgaria to mark the 20th Right to Know Day/Access to Information Day – 28 September 2022.
The ceremony was held online with the participation of about 60 citizens, journalists, representatives of NGOs and public bodies.
The awards were presented in six categories – 4 “Golden Keys” and two anti-awards.
• CITIZEN WHO HAS MOST ACTIVELY USED THE ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT (APIA)
The “Golden Key” award went to
Nikolay Nedelchev for active usage of APIA for achieving bigger transparency regarding the processes in the legislative power and developments in important court cases of public interest. Nedelchev appealed the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office denials to provide information about the names of the prosecutors who ordered the surveillance on the President of the Republic and released the recordings. In another case he appealed the Sofia Regional Prosecutor’s Office to provide information regarding their investigation on the stop broadcasting of Horizon Program of the Bulgarian National Radio. Currently Nikolay Nedelchev is a part in a pending court case against the Commission for Anti-Corruption and Illegal Assets Forfeiture to provide information whether they did a check on assets and interests declaration of the Leader of Political Party (Slavy Trifonov).
The honorary diploma went to
Katia Tosseva for active use of Access to Public Information Act to gain information from the Mayor of Brezovo Municipality for Appendix to the Contract of Municipality and initiating a campaign important for local community.
• NGO WHICH HAS MOST ACTIVELY EXERCISED ITS ACCESS TO INFORMATION RIGHT
The “Golden Key” award went to
Greenpeace – Bulgaria for active usage of the Access to Public Information Act in its mission to oppose particular abusing the environment and to reveal negative practices which deepen the ecological issues. As an example we could point the report „The Eight Circles of the Kovachki Coal Empire“ which provides a deep investigation and reveal of data for millions BGN in outstanding liabilities owed to the National Revenue Agency and corrupt practices which guarantee privileges for certain companies in the energy market.
The honorary diploma went to
Institute for Market Economy Foundation for active usage of the Access to Public Information Act in its activities and for maintaining of database available online.
Strazha Foundation for provision of systematic and user-friendly information about the work of the National Assembly and access to the Centralized System for Servicing the Payments to the Budget Organizations (SEBRA). Their work shows practically and efficiently the benefits of the access to open data for the civic participation, the transparency, and the institutional accountability.
• BEST JOURNALIST STORY RELATED TO THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION RIGHT
The “Golden Key” award went to
Lalka Zlatanova from Darik Radio – Plovdiv for using the Access to Public Information Act in search for publicly significant information for the local community. In particular the journalist searches often information for the work of the Prosecutor’s Office on ongoing investigations and managed to contribute for a change in a negative practice of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on the APIA.
The honorary diploma went to
Lora Fileva, Dnevnik newspaper, for active usage of APIA for investigation and continues work to reveal important matters related to the activities of the executive power and Prosecutor’s Office.
• INSTITUTION WHICH HAS MOST EFFICIENTLY ORGANIZED THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
The “Golden Key” award went to
Bansko Municipality for active provision of public information. The Bansko Municipality was ranked first place in the Active Transparency Rating 2022 and has no information denials for 2021.
The honorary diploma went to
Regional Environment and Water Inspection – Plovdiv. In the Active Transparency Ratings 2022 the institution was ranged first place among the central and regional administrations in Plovdid Region and is at the first place among the structures of the Ministry of the Environment and Water.
ANTI-AWARDS
• INSTITUTION WHICH DOES NOT FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE APIA AND VIOLATES CITIZENS’ RIGHTS UNDER THE APIA
The “Padlock” anti-award went to
Commission for Anti-Corruption and Illegal Assets Forfeiture for their absurd denial to provide information for the check on the Party Leader Slavy Trifonov assets and interests declaration and the fine imposed on him for not submitting the same.
• MOST ABSURD AND FUNNIEST ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION RELATED TO AN ACCESS TO INFORMATION REQUEST
The “Tied Key” anti-award went to
The Mayor of Brezovo Municipality who denied to provide the appendix to the contract for selling the local bakery in the village of Svezhen with the absurd argument that the requester doesn’t live in Brezovo Municipality. When the case was discussed at the session in the Municipality Council, the Mayor said that the APIA request troubled the Municipal administration so he decided that it will be better the Municipality to pay the penalty of 510 BGN – the amount which the Municipality was sentenced to pay to the requester after the API court case – instead of to provide the information.
The dishonorary diploma went to
Directorate for National Construction Control who was the only one from 563 institutions which denied information for the number of court decisions on APIA cases in 2021 according to the Civil Audit on Active Transparency of Public Bodies'2022 provided by Access to Information Programme.
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The 2022 Right to Know Day Campaign is run within the project Access to Information Forum, implemented with the financial support of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA Financial Mechanism and within the project Access to Information and Transparency Advice Center supported by a grant from America for Bulgaria