Media nongovernmental organizations called on the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor General’s Office to examine the alleged cases of intimidation of the team of Jurnal TV channel by the mayor of Cimiseni village of Criuleni district. The State Chancellery is asked to investigate the legality of the behavior of the mayor in these cases, IPN reports, quoting a statement of the media NGOs.
“The actions to hamper the professional activity of journalists represent a serious violation of the right to free expression and of the freedom of the media in general. If the threats against the journalists are made by persons holding public posts, a signal is sent to society that it’s normal for the opinions and words to be combated by threats and aggression,” it is said in the communiqué.
On August 26, Jurnal TV informed that the mayor of Cimiseni, together with his supporters, attacked the crew of Jurnal TV, hindering them from filming a meeting held in the local home of culture. Two days later, he followed the crew on the streets of Chisinau and tried to approach the car in which they travelled, being close to causing an accident.
The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Center, the Association of Independent Press, the Young Journalist’s Center of Moldova, the Electronic Press Association, the Journalists’ Union of Moldova, “Acces-info” Center, and the Journalistic Investigations Center.
