Alarmed media NGOs protest

The media nongovernmental organisations are alarmed about the recent cases of intimidation of the independent press and protest against the undermining of the freedom of the press and of the freedom of expression in Moldova. The attitude was expressed in a statement of a number of NGOs, cited by Info-Prim Neo. The authors of the statement say that the lawsuits filed against the director of the daily “Timpul de dimineata” “over his actions aimed at instigating national, racial and religious hatred or dismemberment”, and against the radio station “Vocea Basarabiei” “over accusations that it called for rebellion against the Communist government and its overthrowing” do not base on evidence showing the ill-will of the accused journalists. In addition, “Vocea Basarabiei” is subjected to selective verifications of the grants obtained from abroad, especially Romania. It should be noted that the two media outlets provide space for opinions critical of the government. The General Prosecutor’s Office took action after President Voronin instructed the Security and Information Service to combat the illegal political and media financing, including from abroad. According to the signatories, the fact that the funds obtained by “Vocea Basarabiei” are verified with the help of the Centre for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime (CCCEC), which has the reputation of harassing persons disliked by authorities, is worrisome. Last summer, the CCCEC “demonstratively” arrested some members of the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) that were later proven not guilty. Then, the media organisations had the right to inform the public opinion about the fact that the Anticorruption Centre, under the pretext of fighting corruption, is used to intimidate the BCC members that escaped from the control of the power. The statement authors call on the authorities to stop harassing the press as this runs counter to the norms of a state of law and to Moldova’s commitments to observe the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression. They appeal to representatives of the United States, OSCE, the European Union and the Council of Europe to support the Moldovan media in their pluralistic, democratic and independent efforts. The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Centre, the Independent Press Association, the APEL Association of Electronic Press, the Union of Journalists of Moldova, the “Acces-Info” Centre and the Committee for the Freedom of the Press. The document remains open to be signed by anyone willing.