Media NGOs Demand Immediate and Unconditional Solving of the Issue of Restricting Media’s Access to Local Public Administration Meetings

Media NGOs express their concern about the decision of the new interim mayor, Adrian TALMACI, to prohibit media presence at the working meetings of Chisinau Mayor’s Office. Through its spokesperson, the institution assured that journalists would be informed about the work of Mayor’s Office through press releases or requests for information.

We qualify such decisions as abusive, given that the working meetings feature topics of public interest that concern directly the capital’s inhabitants.

We remind that media legislation stipulates that journalists have the right to obtain and distribute information, film, make audiovisual recordings and take pictures. At the same time, Article 6 (1) of the Law on Freedom of Expression states that any individual shall be free to receive information of public interest through the media. According to the same Law, the notion of public interest means interest of the society in the events related to the exercise of public power in a democratic state.

We call on the new interim mayor to review his decision in such a way as to ensure media representatives’ free access to the working meetings. Restricting this right is a serious breach of both media legislation and citizens’ fundamental rights to be informed.

We urge the Municipal Council of Chisinau Mayor’s Office, Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova and other institutions having an impact on relevant persons, to take action in immediate and unconditional solution of this issue and ensure access of the media and all citizens to the local public administration meetings.

Independent Journalism Center
Association of Independent Press
Association of Electronic Press
Center for Investigative Journalism
Press Freedom Committee 
Association of Independent TV Journalists 
‘Access-Info’ Center
RISE Moldova