The non-governmental media organizations condemn the intimidation actions of the mayor of the Kirsovo town of UTA Gagauz Yeri Serghei Sapunji in relation to the journalist Mihail Sirkeli, the editor of the Nokta.md portal, and request the legal authorities to initiate criminal prosecution in connection with the commission of the act provided for in art. 1801 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova. Thus, after the broadcast by the Nokta.md portal of the author's show Nokta Live from February 5, 2021, in which Mihail Sirkeli commented on the fight at the Kirsovo City Hall with the involvement of the mayor, his son and some residents of the village and the town of Vulcănești, mayor Serghei Sapunji sent the journalist several messages with offensive content and threats. After labeling the journalist in an inadmissible and inappropriate manner, the mayor made direct allusions to the robbery: «...ты началось мне войну, интересно колько тебе платят»; «You caused me a lot of evil and harm, I don't deserve it, life is short. Дому, мы еще всегтеимся на одни тропе (…) Не прощу» (in translation: "You declared war on me, interesting how much I pay you"; "You hurt me a lot, I don't deserve this, life is short . I think we will meet again on the same path"). Media organizations vehemently condemn this attack by the mayor of Kirsovo on a journalist who exercised his constitutional right to free expression. We emphasize that article 1801 of the Penal Code provides for sanctions in the case of intimidation for criticism, including persons who use the work situation for this purpose. If these actions are committed with the use of violence or the threat of use of violence, they are punishable by a fine in the amount of 750 to 1350 conventional units with (or without) deprivation of the right to hold certain public positions for a term of up to 5 years . We stand in solidarity with our colleague Mihail Sirkeli and ask the Prosecutor's Office of UTA Gagauzia to report itself in this case and initiate criminal proceedings. We also request the Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM), on whose lists the mayor Serghei Sapunji was elected, to examine this case of inadmissible behavior of the representative of the formation and to dissociate himself from his attacks on the journalist. Association of Independent Press Center for Independent Journalism Public Association Media Guard Association of Environmental Journalists and Ecological Tourism Center "Access-info" Center for Journalistic Investigations Association of Electronic Press RISE Moldova Committee for Freedom of the Press