President Maia Sandu issued a statement in response to the decision of the Commission for Emergency Situations to temporarily suspend the licenses of six channels on Friday evening.

“The decision is based on the findings of the Broadcasting Council in relation to these channels, which show a lack of correct information in the coverage of domestic events and the war started by Russia against Ukraine, and aims to protect the national information space and prevent disinformation”, declared the president.

Sandu emphasized that the uneasy times we are living today require action “to prevent any attempts to destabilize the country”.

“Preserving peace and stability in Moldova is our priority, in the difficult context we are in today, with a war on our border. And protecting the national informational space is an important step for preventing destabilization attempts, mounted by people subjected to international sanctions. We cannot allow that, in this period full of challenges, the security of the state and the peaceful life of the citizens are endangered by fugitives who want only one thing - to go unpunished”, declared the president.

On Friday evening, the Commission for Emergency Situations suspended the licenses of Primul in Moldova, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6, and Orhei TV, for the duration of the current state of emergency. It was done “to protect the national information space and prevent risks of disinformation, spreading of fakes and attempts to manipulate public opinion”. The Commission further stated that the decision took into consideration the international sanctions imposed on certain individuals and entities.

The sanctioned channels use significant sections of their airtime to rebroadcast Russian content in Moldova and most of them are believed to be under the control of the fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor.