Media nongovernmental organizations express their concern about the arrest of reporter Vadim Ungureanu and the searches carried out at the editorial office of the news portal deschide.md, IPN reports, quoting a public statement of the media NGOs.

The NGOs call on the Ministry of the Interior to ensure clarity, objectivity, correctness and full transparency in the investigation of the case involving the reporter. They also ask obeying the principles of the rule of law and the legislation and not allowing intimidating the media and the journalists over their professional activity.

The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Center, the Association of Independent Press, the Center “Acces-Info”, the Association of Independent Telejournalists, and the Journalistic Investigations Center.

On June 20, the editorial office of deschide.md was searched by employees of the Ministry of the Interior and reporter Vadim Ungureanu was arrested for 72 hours. According to the information presented by the General Police Inspectorate, he was arrested because he blackmailed a number of high-ranking officials in order to obtain personal data about persons working in the fields of culture and arts.

According to the editorial office, the Ministry’s actions represent revenge following the publication of investigation articles that relate alleged illegalities committed by the administration and employees of the Ministry of the Interior.