A number of non-governmental organizations express their concern about the lack of quality standards in the law that allows the Council for Investment Projects of National Importance to temporarily or permanently suspend licenses of audiovisual providers.

In a declaration, the media NGOs emphasize that similar provisions that involve the suspension of authorizations for TV and radio stations in the absence of a court decision were previously declared unconstitutional. The organizations also disapprove of the lack of transparency in drafting, adopting and enforcing the new procedure and ask the authorities to review the legal provisions to ensure their compliance with international standards.

On March 21, the Council decided to temporarily suspend two other broadcast licenses, for Canal 5 and Maestro FM, as a preventive measure, based on “reasonable suspicions regarding the involvement of the company’s beneficial owners in activities that affect the security of the state”.

The signatories of the declaration are the Center for Independent Journalism, Amnesty International Moldova, the Electronic Press Association, the Promo-LEX Association, the Access-Info Center, the Moldovan Legal Resources Center, the Center for Policies and Reforms, and the Center for Journalistic Investigations.

Last October, the Commission for Exceptional Situations suspended the broadcast licenses for six television stations (Orizont TV, ITV, Prime TV, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3). In December 2022, the Commission suspended six other channels (Primul în Moldova, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6, Orhei TV). The reasons cited include the fact that the stations were controlled by individuals and companies under international sanctions, and that they engaged in disinformation regarding both domestic events and the war in Ukraine.