Media nongovernmental organizations and members of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Platform express their concern about the order made by the chairman of the Audiovisual Council Dragoș Vicol on March 24 in connection with the state of emergency declared by the authorities. In a public call, the signatories say the order was issued with violations of the legislation. Particular provisions from this document seriously hamper the freedom of expression of the providers of audiovisual media services, IPN reports.
The signatories note that the order signed by Dragoș Vicol is to be applied throughout the period of the state of emergency declared in Moldova. The signatories are particularly concerned about the order’s provision saying that the presenters/moderators and the editors during the state of emergency should unilaterally give up presenting and groundlessly favoring the own opinion and the free formation of arbitrary opinions in covering subjects that refer to the COVID-19 pandemic both in national context and in foreign context, with the national and foreign competent public authorities (Commission for Exceptional Situations of Moldova, Government of Moldova, Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, World Health Organization) being the only safe, truthful, impartial and balanced sources of information.
It should be noted that the order was made after a number of doctors told journalists that they have to work without protective equipment, disinfectants and salaries. In the same connection, the ombudsman on March 24 announced the intention of a large number of doctors to quit for the same reasons. On March 23, the ombudsman warned that the journalists’ role is crucial and these need access to information about the real state of affairs.
The signatories warn the imposition of such provisions by the chairman of the Audiovisual Council seriously affected the media pluralism in Moldova. “We consider that unjustified restrictions to the limit of censorship are imposed. For journalists, these provisions can mean the impossibility of ensuring the diversity of opinions as their access to information is restricted, while for the citizens these mean lack of access or limited access to credible information and sources that can relate another viewpoint than the official one.”
The media nongovernmental organizations and members of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Platform call on Dragoș Vicol to revoke or annul the March 24 order and on the Council members to condemn such practices that undermine the institutional authority and limit the freedom of expression. The Parliament and the Commission for Exceptional Situations are requested to follow the activity of the institutions that abusively invoke the state of emergency and adopt documents by which the basic human rights and freedom are infringed.
