The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) called on the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) and the Ministry of the Interior to provide protection for journalists and to ensure conditions for guaranteeing the freedom of the press. According to a communiqué from the BCC, the Council received a notification from the company that founded the channel Jurnal TV, concerning the attempts to intimidate journalists whose opinions are made public through the agency of this channel, IPN reports.

“The BCC is concerned about the facts invoked by one of the important private broadcasters of Moldova. The Council demands that the competent institutions investigate the mentioned cases and ensure the protection of journalists,” reads the communiqué.

According to the BCC, the freedom of expression represents the basic pillar of a democratic society, while its maturity degree is determined by the way in which the responsible institutions offer sufficient guarantees for ensuring the respect for this right.

The BCC reiterates that it condemns any attempt to weaken the independence of the media outlets and to limit the right to the freedom of opinion. These rights are stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova and the Broadcasting Code as well as in the European Convention on Human Rights.

Journalist Vasile Nastase on July 15, 2013 broadcast a public notice informing the authorities and international organizations that he was threatened with death through SMSes. Afterward, journalist Constantin Cheianu told the press that he received a similar message. In both of the cases, the journalists consider that there is a connection between the threats and their job.