NGOs ask authorities to abandon practices that affect journalists’ work

A number of media nongovernmental organizations issued a statement, demanding that the authorities refrain from practices that affect the work of the journalists and go against the European values and principles as concerns transparency in decision-making, Info-Prim Neo reports. The statement was issued following the decision to hold the May 24 meeting of the parliamentary commission on appointments and immunities behind closed doors, taken by the commission’s chairman Victor Popa. The NGOs expressed their surprise at the decision not to allow the journalists to a meeting where there were examined the bill on guaranteeing of equality and the bill on the reformation of the Anticorruption Center. They said the agenda of the meeting included other issues of public interest and thus such a decision is not justified. The NGOs remind that the Parliament’ Regulation say the meetings of the standing commissions are public and can be held behind closed doors only when the debating of the issues in public can affect the social protection measures or the national security. The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Center, the Association of Independent Press, the Journalistic Investigations Center, the Electronic Press Association APEL, the Committee for the Freedom of the Press, “Acces-info” Center, the Journalists Union of Moldova, and the Young Journalist’s Center of Moldova.