Natalia Morari's Shocking Statement: " It's Very Serious When the Journalists That Try To Do Their Job Are Threatened by the People from the System".

The journalist, Natalia Morari, the editor of the TV program INTERPOL from TV7 declared on Monday evening in her program where she had as a guest the former employee of NCA, Mihail Gofman, that she had a text message from a person who warned her: „Take care, I heard here that you will end badly. Please, take care and put a password on your phone, just in case. I heard this from the chiefs' discussions. They are shocked by the last programs, this is a bigger problem. I think you should not give up provocations as you will definitely have some, because everything is burning here, but silence can be false. I assure you, clean everything that can be used against you...”
 
The warning read on the phone in live broadcast by Natalia Morari comes from a known person, a source from an institution which the journalist didn't divulge, but whose "information so far confirmed ".
 
„The person also wrote to take care at the gym where I go, because I can never know what can happen with my clothes while I do sports" said Natalia Morari in the same program."I think that this is very serious when the journalists who try to do their job are threatended by the people from the system. I will continue to talk and will do everything as a citizen, so that these people are held accountable sometime” concluded the journalist.
 
The journalist's statements were made in the context in which the program's guest, Mihail Gofman, who previously made revelations at INTERPOL about the bank robbery from Moldova, warned the TV presentor during the program to become more careful because some challenges are being prepared for her.
 
We specify that the law regarding the freedom of expression provides that :(1) The state guarantees the freedom of expression of media. Nobody can prohibit or prevent the media to spread information of public interest ,only the law. (2) Mass media has the aim to inform the public on the problems of public interest and according to its responsibilities, to conduct journalistic investigations of problems of public interest.
 
At the same time, according to the Broadcasting Code, the competent public authorities have to ensure the journalists' protection when these are under pressure or threatened so to prevent or effectively restrict the free exercise of their profession.
 
Media Today asked the opinions of two media experts regarding this case.
 
Vasile State, the president of the Association of Electronic Press:

„Such threats, if they are real, call into question the journalists' safety who become uncomfortable for their opinions and which are not approved by those concerned, as a rule by structures in power.
 
Such cases arouse great concern and raise questions on two aspects which I consider not only important, but essential for our profession: journalists' protection and the freedom of press. The deliberate obstruction of a journalist's activity is unspeakable and is a reprehensible act in a state of law. And again if this case is real, then it certifies a serious decadence of freedom of press in the  Republic of Moldova. Therefore, we, the representatives of this profession, have to fight any attempt to intimidate the journalists to exercise their missions.
 
I consider that the competent state institutions have to take action in this case and undertake the necessary measures to ensure the protection of journalists that are doing their job, protection guaranted by law".
 
Tatiana Puiu, lawyer:

„The penal trial has as an aim the protection of a person, society or state from crime, as well as the protection of a person and society from the illegal acts of people holding responsible positions in their activity related to the investigation of the alleged or committed criminal offenses. Taking into account the fact that these threats disseminated in press, the criminal investigation body or the prosecutor will take action about the preparation or perpetration of the crime. At the same time, the criminal investigation body may be notified by Natalia Morari about the preparation for committing an offense, through a denouncement. If the prosecution starts and the exposure to danger of Natalia Morari is determined, it will be decided to put her in the protection program of the participants in criminal proceedings. The authorized body on the participants' protection in the criminal proceedings works as a subdivision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs".