“The Federation of Romanian Journalists MediaSind condemns the arrest of journalist Ernest Vardanean by the separatist Transnistrian regime. It calls on all the journalists to support the Moldovan colleagues in their efforts to set the journalist free and asks the European Commission to make all the necessary approaches and solve this case of human rights violation,” MediaSind says in a statement quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The statement says that MediaSind supports the steps taken by its affiliate member, the Union of Journalists of Moldova, and considers that such Stalinist-like practices constitute an attack on the human rights, the freedom of expression, the principles of democracy. MediaSind asks the Transnistrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ernest Vardanean as the journalist only did his job and correctly informed the people. Ernest Vardanean was arrested on April 7 on suspicion that he betrayed the state and spied for Moldova. A search of the journalist's home in Tiraspol was carried out the same day. On April 10, the arrest warrant for Vardanean was extended for two months. He faces up to 20 years behind bars.