In the last period, there has been an increase in situations that involve intimidation and physical threats to journalists. The case that recently transpired in Orhei, when Șor Political Party Vice-President Marina Tauber, mayor of the Jora de Mijloc commune, has nearly instigated violence journalists, is a typical one. This is both a consequence and proof of a steadily declining democracy in Moldova. Such is the opinion of Association of Independent Press Executive Director Petru Macovei.
In an interview with Radio Europa Liberă, Petru Macovei said that this case, as well as the infamous instance when a gate guard ran with a shovel after a group of journalists who were filming a report, yet was left unpunished, are signals that encourage this type of attitude. “If nothing happens to the persons who attack journalists at work, that represents nothing less than a signal that such actions are acceptable,” explained Petru Macovei. The media expert claims there are even functionaries, members of the Parliament, who have attacked journalists. If Moldova’s rule of law doesn’t condemn such behavior with respect to journalists, it is nothing but a signal for simple citizens as well.
The API head points out that several protest meetings had citizens who attacked journalists verbally, by pushing them, by snatching their microphones, etc. Such behavior should be discouraged and punished according to the law, to avoid murders and assassinations like in other countries. “We cannot claim we have bad legislation, but it isn’t applied. We have article 180 of the Criminal Code, which clearly states that “intimidation of journalists for their critical work can and should be penalized,” the expert claims.
According to Petru Macovei, this article has never been applied since the amending of the Criminal Code, which is unfair, because the journalist craft in Moldova has become increasingly dangerous. “We can’t exclude the possibility that – similar to Marina Tauber threatening with a broom – someone will take a bat to a journalist’s body, and the Prosecutor General’s Office will play dumb again and call journalists to press charges,” said the API Director.
Petru Macovei deems it regrettable that the authorities have no reaction to the daily reports of increasingly grave cases. “No one asks for people to be thrown in jail, but there are fines that could and should be applied. Regardless of the editorial policies of certain TV and radio stations, newspapers, or internet outlets, aggressive behavior towards journalists is forbidden,” the API Director claims.
According to Petru Macovei, journalists should come together, regardless of any existing or imagined obstacles in reflecting Moldova’s reality, because what happens today to one person may happen tomorrow to another.
