Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai repeatedly sent an appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office, asking to examine the threatening and intimidating statements against journalists made the mayor of Orhei Ilan Shor in July. In a press release, the Ombudsman’s Office says another appeal was sent to Speaker of Parliament Andrina Candu, requesting that the package of laws on hate and prejudice motivated crimes should be adopted by the end of the current legislature’s mandate, IPN reports.

The Ombudsman’s Office reminds that in July, immediately after the mayor of Orhei made threatening and intimidating statements against political opponents and journalists, it requested the Chisinau City Prosecutor’s Office to examine the statements and take measures to defend the human rights and freedoms. Recently, the Ombudsman’s Office was informed about the refusal to take legal action in this case for the reason that Ilan Shor’s deeds cannot be classed as a criminal offense.

The Office’s employees analyzed the argumentation and ascertained that the representatives of the Chisinau City Prosecutor’s Office made reference only to the mayor’s e statements that incited hatred and violence for which the national legislation does not stipulate penalties. Thus, the ombudsman made an approach to the Speaker of Parliament, asking to examine the package of laws on hate and prejudice motivated crimes, which was given a first reading in 2016, by the end of the legislature’s mandate.

In the appeal to Prosecutor General Eduard Harunjen, Mihai Cotorobai requested to take the measures required in case of persecution and intimidation of journalists for criticism. The Ombudsman reminds that the national legislation on prejudice motivated speech is not perfect, but the legal norms on the intimidation and persecution of journalists specify penalties for such offenses.

Mihai Cotorobai reiterated the importance of taking attitude to such a case so as to prevent situations that affect human rights.

In a video published in the social media in July, politician Ilan Shor said that when he comes to power, he would apply an eventual lustration law against the journalists who are paid to write bad things about people. Ilan Shor made the statements in the context of a protest mounted by his supporters. “Stop writing bad things. I will get you!” he stated.