Media NGOs condemn abuses of the Taraclia district Police Inspectorate against Investigative Journalists

Media NGOs condemn and qualify as inadmissible the persecution by the law enforcement agencies against media representatives for their journalistic materials.

Thus, Anticoruptie.md portal informed that the Taraclia district Police Inspectorate ordered interrogation of journalists and confiscation of all the materials that they used to produce the investigation titled “How a state-owned lake became private property” (author – Anghelina Gaidarji), which appeared in the local newspaper “Svet” on April 17-18 this year and on NTS television in Taraclia.

According to an order signed by criminal investigation officer of the Taraclia Police Inspectorate Ana Mitrosenko, police officers had to, among other things: “Present the copy of April 17, 18 of the Svet newspaper, in which the article appeared. Interrogate the editor about why the information was published, at whose initiative it was published, who supplied data. Confiscate the video recording from NTS television. Interrogate TV channel employees about who supplied the video materials.”

The order of the Taraclia Police Commissariat defies the legislation of Moldova. The law on the press stipulates in Article 20 (2): “Confiscation of a journalist’s notes is prohibited. His technical devices can be seized only if they serve as evidence in a criminal case.”

Also, Article 90 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates a list of persons who cannot be heard as witnesses, including: “a journalist – to identify the person who supplied information, with the condition not to disclose their name, unless this person voluntarily wants to testify.”

Intentional obstruction of mass media or a journalist’s activities, intimidation for criticism, as well as these actions committed with the use of official position or accompanied by seizure or damage of the journalist’s materials and equipment in order to impede their work, are punishable under the Criminal Code (Article 180¹).

Further, according to the Deontological Code of the Journalist, “The journalist shall protect the identity of sources, including before the court, prosecutors, police officers, and other law enforcement agencies. Protection of professional secret and confidentiality of sources are equally a journalist’s right and obligation.”

Thus, we qualify the actions of the Taraclia Police Commissariat as abusive and aimed against freedom of expression and press freedom. Moreover, by means of this case we notify about unprecedented degradation of the safety of reporters during their work on investigation materials, as well as limitation of journalists’ right to disseminate information of public interest.

We demand the resignation of persons who committed such illegal actions and applied pressure to journalists. We ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to initiate its own investigation in order to elucidate the case and inform about its results. We also ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the case and apply the law to the persons who attempted at journalists’ freedom of expression and resorted to coercion against them.

We notify the foreign embassies and representative offices in Moldova and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović about violation of the rights of journalists in Moldova and ask them to monitor investigation of this case by the law enforcement.

Independent Journalism Center
Association of Electronic Press
Association of Independent Press
Center of Journalistic Investigations
Committee for Press Freedom
Association of Independent TV Journalists
“Acces-Info” Center
Young Journalist Center of Moldova