Suspect in Bulgarian journalist's murder to be released

Pic:Bulgarian television journalist Viktoria Marinova was killed found dead on Saturday ( AFP/Getty/TVN )
Crime reporter(wp/es):

Police in Bulgaria have said a suspect will be released over the murder of journalist Viktoria Marinova.

Earlier on Tuesday, the country's interior ministry said "a Romanian citizen of Ukrainian descent" was taken into custody.

"Our work is continuing. For the time being there are no facts and circumstances that we can announce. The Romanian citizen is to be released," said Teodor Atanasov, the head of Ruse regional police.

He declined to provide further details on the ongoing investigation. 

The TV news reporter, 30, was found dead in a park in the northern city of Ruse, near the River Danube, on Saturday after a brutal attack.

The European Union and the United States have urged Bulgaria to find the killer.

"We have in custody a person whose alibi we are checking, but for the time being we do not have a concrete suspect. Work with him is continuing," Atanasov told reporters earlier on Tuesday.

Ms Marinova was a reporter on the newly re-launched investigative programme "Detector" on the TVN network. 

In her final broadcast on the air, Ms Marinova had criticised the environment journalists find themselves when reporting on matters of public interest.

"The number of forbidden topics is growing all the time," she said. "Investigative journalists are being systematically removed.

"Our team is committed to providing a platform for journalistic research exclusively on topics relevant to the public interest. This is the meaning of "detector". The TV program that detects lies."

No link has been established to Ms Marinova's work.

On Monday hundreds of mourners held vigils around Bulgaria, said to be the worst country in the European Union for press freedom.

TVN posted heartfelt tributes on its website, showing reporters' "enormous pain and insurmountable grief" to the loss of the reporter.

There has been a huge show of outrage by members of the press across the world, as the death coincided with the anniversary of journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya's assassination in 2006.

Vice President of the EU Commission ​Frans Timmermans urged authorities to conduct a swift investigation.

He tweeted this morning: "Shocked by the horrendous murder of Victoria Marinova. Again a courageous journalist falls in the fight for truth and against corruption. Those responsible should be brought to justice immediately by the Bulgarian authorities.