Media organisations raise concern over threats of Chisinau mayor to restrict access of journalists to operative city hall sittings

A number of mass media organisations express concern with statements of the ad-interim mayor of Chisinau, Vasile Ursu, who threatened to restrict the access of journalists to city hall sittings as a response to critical press reports about activity of the public administration of the capital. According to a declaration signed by these organisations, the access to information is an unalienable right of everybody. „We regret that the Chisinau City Hall leaves behind the norms of transparency and opening, it ignores the principles of a democratic society, contrary to recommendations of the Council of Europe, constitutional norms and provisions of the law on access to information," reads the statement. The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Centre, Committee for Press Freedom, Independent Press Association, Acces-Info Centre, Electronic Press Association, and the Moldovan Union of Journalists. Vasile Ursu told an operative city hall sitting on March 6 that he will restrict the access of journalists who „slander” the local public administration. Many media outlets in Moldova criticised these statements this week.