The Moldovan authorities condemn the provocative actions of the Transnistrian bodies, which show that Tiraspol ignores the existing agreements concerning the free movement of people between the two banks of the Nistru River and that the human rights and freedom of speech in the region continue to be violated. On September 1, Transnistrian militiamen detained a group of journalists of a Chisinau TV channel in Corjova village. The journalists intended to cover the events related to the start of the new school year at the local secondary school, IPN reports.

According to a statement issued by the Reintegration Office, even if the journalists were issued with accreditation by the Joint Control Commission, these were detained for performing particular procedures. They were set free only after the Moldovan delegation to the Joint Control Commission made insistent demands. But the journalists could not do their job and the planned report of the festive events could not be produced. The journalists had to return to Chisinau.

“The lack of an appropriate reaction on the part of the representatives of the Joint Military Command of the Peacekeeping Forces causes bewilderment. It is an additional proof of the presence of serious shortcomings in the peacekeeping operation whose format and duties should be conceptually reviewed,” reads the statement.

The official Chisinau describes this incident as an unfriendly gesture on the part of Tiraspol, aimed at causing a conflict atmosphere in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process and at worsening the situation in the Security Zone.