On the occasion of today’s speculation and spreading lies in the media about the arrest senior police officials who are alleged to be his close associates, Interior Minister Nake Culev announced that tomorrow he will file appropriate complaints to the Council on Media Ethics and the Council on Honor at AJM.

Not only do I understand this manipulative reporting as an attempt to undermine my reputation, integrity and professionalism, but it is also a manipulation with the public, which directly damages my personal credibility and the credibility of the Ministry of the Interior, Culev wrote Facebook.

At a press conference yesterday, Culev pointed out that the media is a partner in dealing with manipulation and fake news, but says he sees such a partnership solely through objective reporting based on arguments, and above all, information confirmed by relevant sources.

As a Minister, I strongly advocate for freedom of expression and am against any pressures and lawsuits against journalists and the media, but at the same time, I expect journalistic reporting to be based on full respect for professional and ethical standards of work. No attempt to defocus the public through the manipulative reporting of some media outlets will shake me in proving the truth and in further professional work, free from any pressures, blackmail and threats. This is another proof that the Government’s commitment to fight the fake news is only declarative, or a bluff to manipulate the public, Culev said.