SEEMO condemns harassment of journalist Ghenadie Brega

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) expresses concern about the recent attack against Ghenadie Brega, a cameraman for Eu TV in Chisinau, in front of a public building in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from SEEMO. Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General, condemned the incident as undue interference with the journalist’s right to access information of public interest, and called for “an immediate investigation to identify the individual responsible for the attack.” At the end of the last week, seven Moldova media NGOs expressed their disapproval in connection with this case. On 9 July, Ghenadie Brega accompanied to the prosecutor’s office an individual implicated in an inquiry into alleged Internet-based calls to overthrow the government. Upon his arrival at the building, Brega was verbally and physically attacked by a person in civilian clothing. The attacker told Brega to leave, and repeatedly struck at his camera, even though Brega identified himself as a journalist and explained that he had the right to film in the public building, the NGOs’ statement said. The media organizations called on the authorities to take measures to identify and punish the persons to blame in this case and in other cases of harassment of journalists. “We demand that the right to access to information is strictly respected in accordance with the national law and the international norms,” the signatories said. The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Center, the Independent Press Association, the Electronic Press Association APEL, the Journalists Union of Moldova, Acces-Info Center, the Journalistic Investigations Center and the Committee for the Freedom of the Press. SEEMO is a regional network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute.