Mass-media organizations worried about the recent cases of intimidation of independent press protest against the disruption of press freedom and freedom of speech in the Republic of Moldova
A group of nongovernmental organizations from mass-media field diffused a statement in which they affirm that „they are worried about the recent cases of intimidation of independent press and protest against the disruption of press freedom and freedom of speech in the Republic of Moldova”.
According to the authors of the statement, the initiation of the penal investigation against the director of the daily newspaper „Timpul de dimineata”, accused of „intended actions meant to start national, racism or religious conflicts” and against the radio station „Vocea Basarabiei”, accused „of having called to the abolishion and destruction through violence of the constitutional regime” is not based on the existence of some data and evidence which would certify the bad will of the accused journalists. Moreover, according to the authors, the grants obtained from abroad by the radio station „Vocea Basarabiei” are checked, especially the ones which come from Romania. It is worth mentioning that both media institutions provide space to critical opinions at the address of the governing authorities, and the demands of the General Prosecution are launched after president Voronin asked the Information Security Service „to stop the illicit funding of political parties and mass-media, including from resources from out of the Republic of Moldova.
It is regrettable the fact that the control of financial funds obtained by „Vocea Basarabiei” is made with the involvement of the Centre for Combating Corruption and Economic Crimes (CCCEC) whch, according to the authors of the statement, „has the fame to get involved in cases of harassment of some persons which are not lked by the power”.
The authors of the statement remind that, in summer 2007, CCCEC made some „demonstrative” arrests of some members of the Coordinative Council of the Audiovisual (CCA), which have been declared innocent afterwards. Mass-media organizations had the right at that moment to announce the public about the fact that, under the reason the Anti-corruption Centre fights with corruption, it is used for intimidating CCA which was out of the control of the power.
Nongovernmental organizations from mass-media field ask the authorities „to stop the actions of harassment of press, which contradict the norms of a state and the responsibilities of the Republic of Moldova of not intimading press freedom and freedom of speech” and make an appeal to the representatives of the USA, OSCE, EU and Council of Europe „to support mass-media from RM in its pluralist, democratic and independent effort”.
The statement is signed by representatives of the Independent Journalism Centre, the Independent Press Association, the Electronic Press Association, the Unin of Journalists from Moldova, the Centre „Acces-Info” and the Press Freedom Committee. // DECA-Press
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