Committee for Freedom of the Media condemns journalist Ernest Vardanean's arrest

The arrest of journalist Ernest Vardanean in Tiraspol is an attack on the freedom of the press, the chairman of the Committee for the Freedom of the Media Alexandru Cantar has told Info-Prim Neo. According to him, it is hard to believe that a journalist can be nowadays arrested for betraying the state. “It is an absolutely condemnable reality, when a journalist is arrested like this. It is a sign that there are yet many zones where the free press is not perceived as a value,” Alexandru Cantar said. The journalist also said that the international community and the European Union have now limited instruments for preventing such cases in the immediate vicinity of the EU. “The fact that we do not have possibilities of exerting pressure on the Transnistrian authorities, who realize that their political problems can be sold in a different way, is serious,” Alexandru Cantar said. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, the arrested journalist's wife Irina Vardanean said she does no know where and in what conditions her husband is held. She asked not to contact her anymore as she is afraid that her family could be hurt. On its website, the Agency “Novii Region 2”, for which Ernest Vardanean worked, says that the Transnistrian militia leaked a piece of information, according to which Ernest Vardanean admitted his guilt and started to cooperate with the militia. Moreover, it says that the journalist intended to denounce himself long ago, but did not manage to. Sources in the secret services gave to understand that Ernest Vardanean has cooperated with them for a certain period of time, but it was recently established that he had also worked for another “uncle”. It is not said who this 'uncle' is – Moldova, Romania or Russia. “Novii Region 2” also says that the journalists' wife is scared and afraid that she will not be able to feed her children as everyone turned their backs on them. Ernest Vardanean was arrested by the Transnistrian secret services in front of the building where he lives on April 7. A court in Tiraspol extended the arrest warrant for another two months. The Transnistrian authorities say Vardanean was arrested on suspicion of betrayal of the state and espionage in favor of Moldova.