YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Former reporter of Bulgarian Trud daily Dilyana Gaytandzhieva who was dismissed from her job on August 24, assures that Azerbaijan and Aliyev’s administration stand behind the decision of her dismissal. Dilyana Gaytandzhieva encountered troubles following her article revealing arms supplies by Azerbaijan to terrorists by diplomatic flights.
In an exclusive interview with Armenpress Dilyana Gaytandzhieva presented details over the case. The reporter tells that on August 23 she was called to the National Security of Bulgaria.
“A Bulgarian National Security officer called me and invited to their office, where I was interrogated over my source of investigative journalism. I told them how I got that confidential document, but refused to unveil the source, since I am not obliged to do that”, Dilyana Gaytandzhieva tells.
A few hours after Dilyana Gaytandzhieva left the National Security Agency, she received a call from Trud daily.
“A few hours after the interrogation I received a call from the secretary of my office, who asked me to come to the office after the working day finishes. I went to the office and was informed that I am dismissed without any explanation. I did not even meet with the editor-in-chief.
I am convinced that influential people stand behind all these, and those people are not only from Bulgaria. This is not a personal issue, it refers to Azerbaijan which supplies terrorists and countries that are involved in the supply chain with arms by its state-run airline”, says Dilyana Gaytandzhieva.
“Following the publication of that article the embassy of Azerbaijan made a complaint, saying that my article is directed against their country. Yes, it’s directed against them and all those involved in that deal. The Azerbaijani embassy called on investigating my activities and now, instead of investigating the criminal activities of supplying terrorists with arms, they are trying to find out my source of information”, the Bulgarian reporter told Armenpress.
Dilyana Gaytandzhieva, speaking about her dismissal, noted that the contract has been breached without any explanation. Therefore, it’s clear that the mentioned daily is not ready to act as an independent news outlet and support independent journalism.
Speaking about her future activities, the reporter informed that she plans to return to Syria and continue with her investigation freely.
“I have received wrathful comments from some Azerbaijanis closely connected with Baku. No one can stop me and now I have nothing to lose. I will continue doing what I used to do”, says the Bulgarian reporter.
Dilyana Gaytandzhieva calls on all the advocates of justice and truth to unite and struggle against the illegal acts of the Aliyev regime. The reporter also wants to confront these measures of Azerbaijan and calls her professional colleagues do so.
“They are afraid to express their opinions and tell the truth about Azerbaijan. I assure, Azerbaijan tries to interfere in the domestic affairs of Bulgaria. What happened with me was not the first case – I am neither the first one, nor the last one”, Gaytandzhieva said.
Gaytandzhieva is convinced that the international crimes committed by Azerbaijan should be investigated by the UN.
“The Azerbaijani authorities should be brought to responsibility according to the international right. I have numerous footages and proofs that innocent people are killed in Syria by weapons supplied by Azerbaijan’s stae airline”, the Bulgarian reporter stresses.
The investigative reporter also noted that apart from various means of pressure imposed by Azerbaijan to limit freedom of speech, it also widely relies on bribery. They have bribed a number of Bulgarian media outlets which depict them under positive light and silence the voices of the past.
A scandalous investigation was published in the Bulgarian newspaper Trud on July 2 which reveals the Azerbaijani state circles’ direct engagement in supplying weapons to Islamic terrorist groups at different parts of the world.
Dilyana Gaytandzhieva’s investigative article mainly focuses on the illegal and large-scale export and sale of arms to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Congo by Silk Way Airlines (an Azerbaijani state-run company) under the cover of diplomatic flights.
