An international media organization is concerned by the pressure exercised over the press of the R. of Moldova

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) is alarmed is alarmed at the recent pressures on journalists from “Ziarul de Garda”. SEEMO addressed a public letter to the president Vladimir Voronin, prime-minister Vasile Tarlev and Minister of Justice, Vitalie Parlog, in which it requests that they take actions in order to assure the free circuit of information and the pluralism of opinions in the press. According to SEEMO, after publishing a series of articles related to crimes and corruption in the legal system of the Republic of Moldova, journalists working for the Chisinau-based weekly newspaper Ziarul de Garda have faced ongoing pressure from the representatives of different state institutions as well as other unidentified persons. SEEMO has also been informed that these persons have attempted to interfere in the editorial policy of the weekly by entering into doubtful agreements or by attempting to bribe its reporters. The organization condemns these attempts to influence the paper's reporting and to intimidate journalists. In the context, SEEMO requests that Moldova’s government influence on Moldovan officials and institutions to encourage them to investigate these accusations and to halt these illegal practices. The appeal emphasizes that an open media environment allowing for the free flow of information, as well as the existence of critical media, is a fundamental principle of any democratic society. The South East Europe Media Organisation an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is a regional non-governmental, non-profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations, news agencies and new media in South East Europe. With its committees, SEEMO aims to create a bridge between international media activities and the media developments in the region.