RISE Moldova journalist Liuba Shevchuk was followed by a professional provocateur. It happened the day after the investigation about the villas owned by the president of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc abroad, entitled “Oligarch’s Paradise”, was published. In the talk show “Politics of Natalia Morari” on TV8 channel, the journalist said this was done for the purpose of intimidating and discrediting her, IPN reports.
Liuba Shevchuk said it is normal for the journalists to go to meetings with different persons and for different persons to enter the editorial offices of media outlets, but it is not normal when someone follows reporters and knows details about their family and personal life. The man followed her with the aim of discrediting and intimidating her. “We tried to find out the reason for the pursuit and the person gave us a number of versions: because of the investigation “Oligarch’s Paradise”; at the instruction of Mister Cavcaliuc, deputy head of the General Police Inspectorate, who got angry because of an investigation of ours into his property. He ultimately didn’t give us an exact and clear answer,” stated the journalist, noting she would like the authorities to open an inquiry into this case.
Executive director of the Association of Independent Press Petru Macovei said such actions are elements of a police state that becomes stronger in the Republic of Moldova. The journalists no longer feel safe in Moldova because the legislation and those who have to protect the journalists do not do it. “This is a problem of democracy that is fragile in the Republic of Moldova, where the rule of law is not ensured, but the citizens of this country should realize that the freedom of journalist and the security of the job is a guarantee for the public,” he noted.
Information about the pursuit of journalist Liuba Shevchuk was communicated to journalists of RISE Moldova in a meeting with a person who was directly involved in the act. He described in detail what the journalist did in the course of September 6, 2018 and revealed precise data about the members of her family and personal life. The journalist said she made public the information about the pursuit in order to feel safer.
