Bulgaria's Interior Ministry says veteran investigative journalist Slavi Angelov has been attacked by unidentified assailants near his home in Sofia.
Angelov, the editor in chief of the weekly newspaper 168 Hours, was beaten with metal pipes late on March 17 and is now in the hospital, the ministry said.
Angelov told the media from his hospital bed that he was attacked by two men wearing masks, while a third masked man filmed the assault on a mobile phone.
The assailants did not take anything from Angelov, who was carrying his laptop at the time, the police said.
In recent months, Angelov has covered cases such as the acquittal of a businessman who was brought to court for causing environmental damage to a campsite, and a prostitution ring that, according to the journalist, operates in Bulgaria and Greece.
Angelov also wrote extensively about the investigation into gambling tycoon Vasil Bozhkov over allegations of serious financial violations in the industry and his alleged links with the owner of online casino Efbet.
Bozhkov was arrested recently on charges of tax fraud, attempted bribery, and racketeering.
