FREEDOM OF PRESS IN MOLDOVA

Dear colleagues
Tomorrow we will be holding a press conference from 10:30 to 12:00.

Place: Press Club Place Kleber 10, Strasbourg

In this context, we call You to come and to discuss with us the violation of Freedom of Press in Moldova. It is important that you pay attention to the problem of banned media outlets in Republic of Moldova!

On December, 16/2022 the Moldavian Government banned 6 media outlets with national coverage, most of channels are in the top 5 in Moldova.

The channels were shut down even before the regulation entered in force.

Channels were stopped by Commission for Emergency Situations (chaired by Prime Minister) thus grossly violating and ignoring the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, domestic legislation and international legal provisions.

Commission for Emergency Situations was empowered, in derogation from the legislation of our country, to take decisions that would ensure the energy security of our state, manage the migration flow, overcome the economic consequences related to the conflict in the neighbouring country.

Motivation – one phrase: multiple violations of the Code on Audiovisual Media Services due to incorrect information reflecting national events and the war in Ukraine.

Who are we?

We are channels, which show the real life in Republic of Moldova, we show news about all political parties without exceptions, all opinions and positions, regarding Republic of Moldova.

Television channels have never been penalized for propaganda and disinformation by the regulatory authority Television and Radio Council and the proof of this is that at the moment no Court is ready to take on this case.

As a result of such actions, in addition to violating the fundamentals of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, more than 150 citizens of the Republic of Moldova risk remain unemployed at a time when inflation in the country has exceeded 35% over the past year.

We respect the international European action in the field of protection of citizens’ rights, freedom of expression and access to information, thanks to your democratic action, freedom of expression is available to absolutely everyone, regardless of language, nationality, religion and colour. Unfortunately, the European values followed by the current government are being applied in the wrong way, completely nullifying the democracy so highly valued in the European Union.

For any questions and cooperation please contact us: E-mail: stopmediaban@gmail.com

Phone number Mrs. Ludmila Belchenkova +37376043500
Group of independent journalists who will be present tomorrow.

1) Dorina Macarici, age – 34.
Studies: Faculty of Foreign Languages, UPSC.

Winner of the top « 10 journalists of the year 2011 » organized by the Centre for Independent Journalism of the Republic of Moldova.

Professional experience:

From October 2009 to June 2012, presenter and producer of the show « Asfalt de Moldova » on Jurnal TV.

From 10 June 2012 to May 2013 I worked as an independent journalist producing the show « Prin lumea mare cu Dorina Chirilov » which I broadcast on Euro TV Chisinau, Nașul TV Romania.

From 15 June 2014 – 25 January 2021 – Editor-presenter in the Department of Debates, Investigation and News, « Matinal Național » on Radio Moldova.

From 25 February 2021 – present: producer of the show « MOLDOVA LA PACHET » on ORHEI TV and TV6.

2) Irina Varsan, age – 35. Higher education.

16 years of experience in the media field.

From 2007 to 2018, I worked on a Transnistrian TV channel as an entertainment correspondent, then as a morning show host and as an entertainment shows producer. Since 2018 I have been working as a news anchor at TV6 in Moldova.

3) Ludmila Belcencova, General Producer of the First Channel in Moldova. Author and anchor of the programme « Tema ». Active in journalism since 1997. I started out as a reporter on the NIT TV channel. I was elected twice as a Member of Parliament on the list of PCRM and worked as a press attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Moscow. In 2000, I was named Journalist of the Year by the Independent Journalism Center.

4) Tatiana Turcan, born in September 1977. I graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences of Moldova State University. I have been working in journalism for more than 20 years. I started my career as a journalist at Flux News Agency, an agency affiliated at the time to the Christian Democratic People’s Party, one of the few that was in opposition to the ruling Communist Party. After that, I worked at Euro TV, a TV station founded by the Chisinau City Council. After a few years, the TV station was taken over by the Communists and I went to TV7, a TV station owned by one of the sons of the former head of state, Chiril Lucinschi. A few months after that I went to PRO TV, at that time a private TV station that was a subsidiary of PRO TV Bucharest and was an opposition TV station. Then, almost 2 years later, I went to Publika TV, a niche TV station that produced only political, social and economic news and talk shows. Over the years I have been employed at the Public Television Moldova 1, at TV8, and for more than 4 years I have

been at TV6. I started my career as a news field reporter, I was also an anchor, then coordinating editor and producer of news and political shows. I am currently a news producer at TV6.

5) Lilia Rau. I am news editor at TV6, one of the six other TV stations that the Moldovan authorities have decided to stop broadcasting. I studied at the State University of Moldova, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences. In my last year of university, I started working as a reporter at EuroTV, a generalist TV station. Between 2004 and 2005, I was a correspondent for Realitatea TV and TVR in Romania. After 9 years as a reporter, I started working as a producer at JurnalTV and then as a newsdesk editor at PublikaTV. Later I was a news editor at TV7, Moldova 1, CTC Moldova and now I am a news editor at TV6. Before coming here, I was responsible for communication and media relations in a political party.

6) Olesea Caireac (by passport Echim), age – 42.

In 2002, I graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication Sciences of Moldova State University. I presented my licentiate paper on the subject « The image of a political leader in a television electoral campaign ». Even before graduation, I started working officially in my profession, namely television journalism. I have worked for three popular TV channels NIT, RTR-Moldova and TV6. I have professional experience as a correspondent, author and anchor of a news programme, producer and anchor of a morning programme, and producer and anchor of a medical television project. Total TV experience – more than 20 years.