Media nongovernmental organizations and editorial staffs of media outlets signal a worsening of the conditions of access to information of public interest and protest against the imposition of abusive restrictions contrary to European practices in the area of access to information and press access to court hearings, IPN reports.

The adoption by the Superior Council of Magistracy of regulations concerning access to courts of law without broad public consultations involving media organizations is described as abuse by which additional restrictions on the access to court hearings are imposed on journalists.

A statement signed by media NGOs and editorial staffs says some of the provisions of these regulations, like the obligation for journalists to submit a written application for being allowed to enter the courtroom at least 24 hours before the hearing or the obligation to present the identity card and a copy, besides the permit, are equally absurd and ridiculous for a judicial system that is declaredly being reformed in accordance with the European standards.

The signatories demand that the Council should annul its decision to approve the regulations and should initiate discussions on this theme with the participation of journalists and media outlets. They also request the EU Delegation to Moldova and the embassies of other states that provide financing for the justice sector reform to take cognizance of this statement and intervene so as to remedy this situation that violates the mass media’s right to cover trials and the people’s right to a fair trial.

Earlier, journalists and NGOs complained about the interpretation and incorrect implementation of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, unjustified increase in state taxes for access to the data of the state-run Information Resources Center “Registru”, restricting of access to relevant data about those who finance campaigns in the period prior to the 2016 presidential elections and other artificial obstacles aimed at making information of major public interest secret.

The signatories of the statement are the Association of Independent Press, the Journalistic Investigations Center, paper “Ziarul de Garda, “Acces-info” Center, the Independent Journalism Center, the Electronic Press Association, the Committee for the Freedom of the Press, and the Young Journalist’s Center of Moldova.