Media NGOs vehemently condemn the abusive and illegal actions of the separatist forces in Tiraspol and call on the legitimate authorities of the Republic of Moldova to intervene immediately and obtain the release of journalist Viorica Tătaru. In a statement, the NGOs call on Moldova’s legitimate authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure the rights and freedoms guaranteed by law to the media, IPN reports.

The statement says that on January 24, TV8 journalist Viorica Tătaru was detained by the unrecognized security forces in Tiraspol while she was fulfilling her journalistic duties. “We warn the legitimate authorities of the Republic of Moldova about the seriousness of the violations of human rights and freedoms guaranteed at national and international levels, by violating both individual freedoms and the safety of persons and the special rights guaranteed to journalists,” said the signatories.

The signatory organizations vehemently condemn the abusive and illegal actions of the separatist forces in Tiraspol, directed against journalists, and note that such serious violations cannot be tolerated.

The signatories of the statement are the Independent Journalism Center, “Media Guard” Association, the Association of Electronic Press, the Association of Independent Press, “Acces-Info” Center, the Center for Investigative Journalism, the Committee for the Freedom of the Press and RISE Moldova.

Following the incident, the Bureau for Reintegration Policies demanded to unconditionally set free the journalist. “In connection with the illegal detention of journalist Viorica Tătaru by representatives of the so-called police bodies of the Transnistrian region, Tiraspol’s chief negotiator in the Transnistrian settlement process was immediately notified of this, with the request that she should be immediately released and offered the possibility of returning safely to the right side of the Nistru,” said the Bureau for Reintegration Policies.