The non-governmental media organizations are deeply concerned about the censorship signals at the regional public media service provider in Gagauzia, they vehemently condemn any attempt at illegal interference in the editorial activity of mass media institutions and demand the investigation of these signals in light of the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Republic Moldova.
The statement refers to some video recordings from an unannounced meeting of the Board of Observers of the regional public media service provider “Gagauziya Radio Televizionu” Company (GRT), recently published by activist Olga Parzany and media institutions in the region Gagauz, which demonstrates the existence of elements of censorship at GRT. It is understood from the records that the journalist Oxana Kihayal, former editor of the GRT website, complained to the Board of Observers about the actions of the executive director Vasilii Dermenji, who allegedly asked him, without explanation, to withdraw from the company’s website the news in which the experts they stated that the promise to provide the inhabitants of the region with natural gas at the price of 10 lei is based on forgeries and manipulation.
From the journalist’s statements, the Press Service of the Executive Committee of the autonomous region regularly sends “requests” to publish press releases, perceived and fulfilled by the company’s management as indications, and a representative of the Press Service is connected to the editorial chat. Oxana Kihayal’s complaint was examined at an unannounced meeting of the Board of Observers, convened on January 19, 2024, and the Executive Director of the GRT refused to provide explanations for the allegations of censorship. The board of observers adjourned the examination of the complaint for an unspecified period.
The media NGOs remind that mass media censorship is punishable according to the provisions of the Penal Code and ask the competent institutions of the state to verify the actions of the GRT management and those in charge of the Executive Committee of the region, accused of interference in the editorial activity of the regional public provider of media services and possibly file a criminal case for censorship.
The signatories of the declaration request the Audiovisual Council to carry out additional monitoring regarding the GRT’s compliance with the provisions of art. 17 of the Audiovisual Media Services Code (Protection of the national audiovisual space).
- Association of Independent Press
- “Access-Info” Center
- Center for Journalistic Investigations
- Association of Electronic Press
- Media Guard Association
- Center for Independent Journalism
- Association of Environmental Journalists and Ecological Tourism
- Committee for Freedom of the Press
- RISE Moldova
