Government signaled that dissidence will be punished, statement
- 14.04.2012 10:23
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By closing an inconvenient television channel, the current administration of Moldova showed that dissidence will be penalized. The closing of NIT channel is a blow to the freedom of expression and a huge step backward in the development of Moldova as a democratic state, says a statement signed by 15 NGOs, Info-Prim Neo reports.
“Today they closed the ‘inconvenient’ NIT, and tomorrow they can close you. We warn that for the first time in the over two years and a half since the Alliance for European Integration came to power, the international community, including the European one, criticized toughly the authorities for limiting the right to freedom of expression following the closing of NIT,” reads the statement.
“NIT was a source of information for the Russian-speaking people of Moldova and its closing led to a significant reduction in the use of Russian in the Moldovan media space.”
The signatories call on the Russian authorities to intervene and defend the main TV channel that broadcast in Russian in the country. “By jointly defining the NIT’s right to broadcasting, we will be able to defend the rights of the Russian speakers in Moldova, including the right to access to information in the mother tongue,” said the NGOs.
The statement was signed by the Association for the Defense of Human Rights “Femida”, the public association “Transform Moldova”, the Civic Control Coalition, the Center for Juridical Investigations and Human Rights Defense, “Velimir”, “Young Moldova”, the Young Journalists’ Union “Opinion-md”, and others.
NIT remained without license on April 5. It broadcast predominantly in Russian and was widely seen as affiliated with the opposition Communist Party of Moldova. The Broadcasting Coordination Council withdrew the license of NIT for failing to provide a sufficient plurality or diversity of sources in reporting on subject which may be envisioned to generate conflict, as well as for failing to maintain the principles of socio-political equilibrium, equidistance and objectivity.
