Non-governmental media organisations express their concern about the disqualifying behaviour, verbal attacks and threats made by Nicolai Chirilciuc, candidate for mayor of Balti, against the editor of the independent periodical "СП" and the Esp.md portal Slava Perunov. We call on the law enforcement bodies to investigate this case and sanction N. Chirilciuc in accordance with the provisions of the legislation in force. According to the editorial office, Nicolai Chirilciuc was dissatisfied with some questions asked to him during the electoral debates organized by Esp.md, comments made by some users of the website against him, as well as calculations on the placement of electoral advertising. According to the editor, confirmed by the audio recording published by the newsroom, candidate Nicolai Chirilciuc verbally assaulted Slava Perunov, using licentious and insulting words, labels and insults, implying that the newsroom should be loyal to him in the election campaign because he paid for election advertising. Moreover, Chirilciuc alluded to a possible physical scuffle with Perunov. The signatory organisations strongly condemn Chirilciuc's attacks and threats and ask him to stop any illegal attempt to intimidate journalists and influence the editorial policy of the media institution. We express our solidarity with journalist Slava Perunov and the "СП" editorial staff. We ask the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Balti Police Inspectorate to investigate this case in the light of the guarantees offered by the legislation in force to the freedom of the media and journalists, the relevant provisions of the Contravention Code (offending the honour and dignity of the person) and the Criminal Code (intimidation of the media or journalist for criticism; threatening to use violence). We ask the Central Electoral Commission to give a legal assessment of Nicolai Chirilciuc's behaviour in the light of the obligations of candidates in elections and the rules of conduct in electoral campaigns. Independent Press Association Center for Investigative Journalism Electronic Press Association "Media-Guard" Association Independent Journalism Center RISE Moldova Press Freedom Committee Association of Environmental Journalists and Environmental Tourism