Media non-governmental organizations are condemning the latest insulting remarks by Chisinau mayor Ion Ceban on reporters covering municipal affairs. In a public statement, the media NGOs ask the mayor to adopt appropriate language and behavior.

The statement says that in the last two City Hall meetings, on March 13 and 20, Ion Ceban dedicated part of his interventions to the media. In particular, Ceban called media reports on municipal issues “lies”, “half-measures”, “nonsense” and “gross manipulation”. Also, the mayor raised serious accusations against the public media service provider.

Media NGOs condemn this behavior, calling it inappropriate for a public dignitary. The signatories ask Mayor Ceban to renounce his “campaign of intimidation of the media”.

In the same vein, media NGOs condemn the practice of using administrative resources, including public money and authority meeting time, to launch attacks and threats against journalists.

The statement was signed by the Center for Independent Journalism, the Association of Environmental Journalists and Ecological Tourism, the Media Guard Association, the Electronic Press Association, the Independent Press Association, the Access-Info Center, the Center for Journalistic Investigations and the Press Freedom Committee.