Mayor of Nikola Kozlevo threatens journalist Diyana Zhelyazkova at polling station

On 27 October 2024, journalist of investigative online media 'For the truth' Diyana Zhelyazkova was threatened by Ismail Ibryam, the mayor of the municipality of Nikola Kozlevo, while she was reporting on alleged voting violations in the village of Vulnari during the parliamentary elections. Zhelyazkova was investigating the issue due to a complaint filed with the Shumen Regional Election Commission regarding suspected breach of voting secrecy at the polling station, where the mayor was allegedly monitoring the voting process. Ibryam had allegedly removed the curtain of the voting space, which was completely exposed.

According to the journalist, the regional election commission and its secretary Ahmed Jambazov had already arrived at the scene. Zhelyazkova asked the police officer on duty why they did not prevent the mayor from entering the voting space, they replied that in order to intervene, they would have needed a direct instruction from the chair person of the section's election commission. While Zhelyazkova was reporting at the polling station, Ibryam entered again and, waving his finger at the journalist, repeated twice: "You must be very careful!" Due to the threat made by the mayor, Zhelyazkova filed a complaint at the police station in Nikola Kozlevo. Local journalist union AEJ Bulgaria denounced the threats against Zhelyazkova, and several other incidents targeting journalists covering the elections.

Ibryam was elected mayor by a coalition between BSP and DPS in the local elections in 2023, but after the split in DPS, he joined the ranks of New Beginning. DPS-New Beginning won the 2024 parliamentary elections in the municipality of Nikola Kozlevo.