(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern about Yurie Rosca, a populist right-wing politician, who has been taking legal action against the country’s independent media. On 25 April 2005, Rosca, leader of the Christian-Democrat People’s Party (CDPP) and recently elected Moldovan Parliament deputy speaker, filed a complaint against “Timpul de dimineata”, a popular Romanian-language newspaper (circulation […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern about Yurie Rosca, a populist right-wing politician, who has been taking legal action against the country’s independent media.
On 25 April 2005, Rosca, leader of the Christian-Democrat People’s Party (CDPP) and recently elected Moldovan Parliament deputy speaker, filed a complaint against “Timpul de dimineata”, a popular Romanian-language newspaper (circulation 19,000), for damaging his “honour, dignity and professional reputation”. He is seeking 50,000 euros (approx. US$64,300) in damages.
“The legal cases brought by Iurie Rosca against the independent press constitute a threat to press freedom in the country. Moldovan leaders must not get into the habit of filing complaints as soon as a media is critical of the government. Over the past few months, the country has demonstrated its willingness to come into line with the European Union and consequently its standards in legal and press matters. The parliamentary deputy speaker should therefore stop systematically filing complaints against newspapers that are critical of him,” RSF said.
Rosca’s complaint followed the publication of an article in the 6 April edition of “Timpul de dimineata”, entitled, “Iurie Rosca and Oleg Serebrian”, that quoted from the “Black Book on Corruption”. The book, which openly denigrates the electoral coalition “Democratic Moldova”, to which Serebrian belongs, was printed, according to “Timpul de dimineata”, by Prag 3, a publishing house owned by Rosca. Rosca denied the allegation and accused the paper of defamation.
The previous week, Rosca filed a complaint against “Jurnal de Chisinau”, a Romanian-language twice-weekly newspaper (circulation 10,000), for injuring his “honour and dignity”. He objected to a 29 March editorial by Val Butnaru, entitled, “The King is Naked”.
In his editorial, Butnaru referred to a certain “Master” and his “political coat-turning for electoral ends.” Rosca felt targeted by the editorial. His party was in opposition in recent years, but in March, after the elections, he struck a deal with the Communist Party, which allowed him to also become deputy speaker of Parliament.
In another editorial, Butnaru said he was not referring specifically to Rosca. His use of the term “Master” – a popular Moldovan figure – represented politicians in general, he said. This did not stop Rosca from claiming some 62,000 euros (US$79,700) in damages from “Journal de Chisinau” and close to 31,000 euros (US$39,850) from Butnaru.
A political study carried out by five local press freedom organisations found that Rosca was the Moldovan politician who had brought the highest number of legal cases against the media, with no fewer than a dozen complaints filed between 1998 and 2003 for “insulting his honour and dignity”.
