Bulgaria freezes assets of independent media publisherSOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria has frozen assets and property and bank accounts belonging to businessman and media owner Ivo Prokopiev, who said the state was trying to silence the country s independent media.     The Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture is preparing to file a claim against Prokopiev and his businesses to seize assets and property worth 199 million levs ($119 million), which it believed were derived from a rogue privatization of a plant 17 years ago, said the commission s chairman, Plamen Georgiev. Bulgaria, one of the European Union s poorest and, according to Transparency International, its most corrupt country, set up the commission in the 2000s to confiscate the  illegally obtained assets of corrupt businessmen and officials and organized crime bosses. Prokopiev, 46, denied any wrongdoing. He said the commission has been used to intimidate the journalists at the influential financial newspaper Capital and the news website Dnevnik. He is the majority owner of both.  He also said a Bulgarian court had ruled in 2004 that nothing was wrong with the privatization of mineral maker Kaolin, the basis of the accusations against him.       We are witnessing how a state institution with very wide powers is being used as a bat and an instrument for repression,  Prokopiev told a news conference.   We do not have any doubt about the ultimate goal of this .... to subdue the editorial position of two of the few independent media in Bulgaria.  Georgiev told a news conference a regional court in Bulgaria had frozen shares and stakes of Prokopiev in over 40 companies on commission s request, but said the actions would not impede the work of the news organizations. Five right-wing political parties that are not represented in the parliament protested against the commission s move. Some political analysts also saw it as an attempt to silence the independent newspapers in the country.   This act really seems to be directed against people who are representatives of free media in Bulgaria, said Daniel Smilov, an analyst with Sofia-based Center for Liberal Strategies. Bulgaria ranked 109th out of 180 countries, lower than any EU member, in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index compiled by the Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders. Bulgaria ranked 51st in 2007, when it joined the EU. worldnews
bulgaria freezes assets independent media publishersofia reuters bulgaria frozen assets property bank accounts belonging businessman media owner ivo prokopiev said state trying silence country independent media the commission illegal assets forfeiture preparing file claim prokopiev businesses seize assets property worth million less million believed derived rogue privatization plant years ago said commission chairman place george bulgaria one european union poorest according transparency international corrupt country set commission confiscated illegally obtained assets corrupt businessmen officials organized crime bosses prokopiev denied wrongdoing he said commission used intimidate journalists influential financial newspaper capital news website dnevnik he majority owner he also said bulgaria court ruled nothing wrong privatization mineral maker violin basis accusations we witnessing state institution wide powers used bat instrument repression prokopiev told news conference we doubt ultimate goal subdue editorial position two independent media bulgaria george told news conference regional court bulgaria frozen shares stakes prokopiev companies commission request said actions would impede work news organizations five political parties represented parliament protested commission move some political analysts also saw attempt silence independent newspapers country this act really seems directed people representatives free media bulgaria said daniel sailor analyst center liberal strategies bulgaria ranked countries lower eu member world press freedom index compiled organization reporters without borders bulgaria ranked joined eu worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Bulgaria freezes assets of independent media publisherSOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria has frozen assets and property and bank accounts belonging to businessman and media owner Ivo Prokopiev, who said the state was trying to silence the country s independent media.     The Commission for Illegal Assets Forfeiture is preparing to file a claim against Prokopiev and his businesses to seize assets and property worth 199 million levs ($119 million), which it believed were derived from a rogue privatization of a plant 17 years ago, said the commission s chairman, Plamen Georgiev. Bulgaria, one of the European Union s poorest and, according to Transparency International, its most corrupt country, set up the commission in the 2000s to confiscate the  illegally obtained assets of corrupt businessmen and officials and organized crime bosses. Prokopiev, 46, denied any wrongdoing. He said the commission has been used to intimidate the journalists at the influential financial newspaper Capital and the news website Dnevnik. He is the majority owner of both.  He also said a Bulgarian court had ruled in 2004 that nothing was wrong with the privatization of mineral maker Kaolin, the basis of the accusations against him.       We are witnessing how a state institution with very wide powers is being used as a bat and an instrument for repression,  Prokopiev told a news conference.   We do not have any doubt about the ultimate goal of this .... to subdue the editorial position of two of the few independent media in Bulgaria.  Georgiev told a news conference a regional court in Bulgaria had frozen shares and stakes of Prokopiev in over 40 companies on commission s request, but said the actions would not impede the work of the news organizations. Five right-wing political parties that are not represented in the parliament protested against the commission s move. Some political analysts also saw it as an attempt to silence the independent newspapers in the country.   This act really seems to be directed against people who are representatives of free media in Bulgaria, said Daniel Smilov, an analyst with Sofia-based Center for Liberal Strategies. Bulgaria ranked 109th out of 180 countries, lower than any EU member, in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index compiled by the Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders. Bulgaria ranked 51st in 2007, when it joined the EU. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: bulgaria freezes assets independent media publishersofia reuters bulgaria frozen assets property bank accounts belonging businessman media owner ivo prokopiev said state trying silence country independent media the commission illegal assets forfeiture preparing file claim prokopiev businesses seize assets property worth million less million believed derived rogue privatization plant years ago said commission chairman place george bulgaria one european union poorest according transparency international corrupt country set commission confiscated illegally obtained assets corrupt businessmen officials organized crime bosses prokopiev denied wrongdoing he said commission used intimidate journalists influential financial newspaper capital news website dnevnik he majority owner he also said bulgaria court ruled nothing wrong privatization mineral maker violin basis accusations we witnessing state institution wide powers used bat instrument repression prokopiev told news conference we doubt ultimate goal subdue editorial position two independent media bulgaria george told news conference regional court bulgaria frozen shares stakes prokopiev companies commission request said actions would impede work news organizations five political parties represented parliament protested commission move some political analysts also saw attempt silence independent newspapers country this act really seems directed people representatives free media bulgaria said daniel sailor analyst center liberal strategies bulgaria ranked countries lower eu member world press freedom index compiled organization reporters without borders bulgaria ranked joined eu worldnews