back

Media NGOs condemn the abusive actions of law enforcement against journalists

16 December 2020

Non-governmental media organizations condemn the abusive actions of employees of the General Inspectorate of Carabinieri (IGC) against journalists, who exercise their mission of informing citizens about events of public interest. According to the reporter of Jurnal TV, Iulia Sarivan, on December 16, 2020, while she was for journalistic purposes at the protest in front of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, she became the victim of aggression by masked men, who applied tear gas to her. Along with the journalist, a Pro TV station cameraman also suffered from the abusive actions of law enforcement. We remind you that, by virtue of the provisions of the Law on the General Carabinieri Inspectorate, the use of special means by the carabinieri can take place in strict accordance with the requirements established by law and only in the event of the need to ensure compliance with legal requirements by persons who violate the order publish and undertake illegal actions. At the same time, the law establishes the obligation of the carabinieri to carry out his professional activity exclusively on the basis of and for the exercise of the law, being obliged to strictly respect human rights, freedoms and human dignity. The use of tear gas in relation to journalists carrying out the mission of informing citizens on matters of public interest, whose conduct did not in any way constitute a danger to public order and security, constitutes an illegal practice that undermines the freedom of the press. We emphasize that, according to art. 4 para. (1) of the Law on Freedom of Expression, the state guarantees the freedom of expression of the media and no one can prohibit or prevent the media from disseminating information of public interest except in accordance with the law. Moreover, para. (5) of the same article provides that the intentional illegal obstruction of media activity attracts criminal liability. The signatory organizations vehemently condemn the abusive and illegal actions of IGC employees, directed against journalists, and signal the inadmissibility of tolerating such serious violations. According to art. 7 of the Law on the General Carabinieri Inspectorate, the control over the activity of the IGC is exercised by the Parliament, the President of the Republic of Moldova, the Government, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, within the limits of the competences with which they are vested by law. In relation to the above-mentioned, we request the Minister of Internal Affairs, Pavel Voicu, by virtue of his legal duties: to take note of the violations committed by IGC employees; to take the steps provided for by law in order to ascertain and sanction the facts committed by the representatives of the law enforcement agencies; to publicly present information on the measures taken after the referral; to ensure the appropriate information and training of IGC employees, in order to counteract and prevent such practices in the future. Center for Independent Journalism Independent Press Association Electronic Press Association Center for Journalistic Investigations Committee for Freedom of the Press Association of Independent Telejournalists "Access-Info" Center Association of Environmental and Ecological Tourism Journalists