(IJC/IFEX) – The following is a 28 January 2004 joint declaration by the IJC, Committee for Press Freedom, Access-Info Center, Association of Electronic Press (APEL), Association of Independent Press and Union of Journalists of Moldova: Chisinau, January 28, 2004 The Independent Journalism Center, the Committee for Press Freedom, the Access-Info Center, the Association of Electronic […]
(IJC/IFEX) – The following is a 28 January 2004 joint declaration by the IJC, Committee for Press Freedom, Access-Info Center, Association of Electronic Press (APEL), Association of Independent Press and Union of Journalists of Moldova:
Chisinau, January 28, 2004
The Independent Journalism Center, the Committee for Press Freedom, the Access-Info Center, the Association of Electronic Press (APEL), the Association of Independent Press, and the Union of Journalists of Moldova express grave concern about the recent case of aggression and intimidation of PRO TV’s Chisinau team.
On January 25, 2004, while cameraman Valeriu Timus was filming a protest meeting of an opposition party in downtown Chisinau, unidentified individuals aggressively blocked his camera and, without identifying themselves, tried to force him to go with them to provide “a clarification.” A prompt response by other journalists forced the attackers, who pretended to represent the authorities, to back down. The police, who happened to be nearby, watched the incident without intervening.
We would like to draw the attention of the public to the fact that any attempt to intimidate and pressure journalists and press institutions is a serious violation of national and international legislation and contradicts citizens’ right to information. According to Republic of Moldova legislation, journalists have the right “to obtain and disseminate information” and “to record, film and take pictures”, and “their equipment may be requested by the authorities only if they are needed as evidence in a court case”. “Intentional mistreatment or other acts of violence” towards people who are doing their work or performing other social functions are also punishable by law.
The behavior of the police, who were nearby and did not intervene to defend the journalist and to re-establish order, is inexplicable and repugnant.
We call on the authorities to investigate this case and to identify those responsible for the aggression against Timus.
Independent Journalism Center
Committee for Press Freedom
Access-Info Center
Association of Electronic Press (APEL)
Association of Independent Press
Union of Journalists of Moldova
