Media nongovernmental organizations issued a statement whereby they condemn the actions taken against the newspaper “Ziarul de Garda” and ask the law enforcement bodies to investigate the case. The reaction comes after “Ziarul de Garda” on February 21 published a statement saying a false website uses the publication’s name and steals media content, IPN reports.

“The steps taken by the editorial staff showed that this website is really an electronic phantom that makes use of the name of “Ziarul de Garda” and distributes information that is written by anonymous authors or stolen from other websites, causing thus damage to online media consumers,” says the statement.

The media NGOs describe the theft of identity as an illegal action that should serve as an investigation subject for the law enforcement agencies and call on the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor General’s Office to urgently elucidate this case and to take measures in relation to the persons who encroached upon the integrity of the image of this investigative publication.

They also request the company Molddata to explain publicly how the registration of the phantom portal was possible without possessing precise information about the owner, legal address and contact data.

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