(IJC/IFEX) – The following is a 2 April 2004 joint statement by the IJC, “Acces-info” Center, Press Freedom Committee, Association of Independent Press and Association of Electronic Press “APEL”: Declaration of solidarity with journalists from radio Antena C and Euro TV Chisinau, Republic of Moldova April 2, 2004 The Independent Journalism Center, “Acces-info” Center, Press […]
(IJC/IFEX) – The following is a 2 April 2004 joint statement by the IJC, “Acces-info” Center, Press Freedom Committee, Association of Independent Press and Association of Electronic Press “APEL”:
Declaration of solidarity with journalists from radio Antena C and Euro TV
Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
April 2, 2004
The Independent Journalism Center, “Acces-info” Center, Press Freedom Committee, Association of Independent Press and the Association of Electronic Press “APEL” are expressing their solidarity with the journalists of the municipal stations Antena C and Euro TV who went on hunger strike, protesting against the delay and blocking in the process of resuming the shows of these two stations. Radio Antena C and Euro TV were closed after a hasty, unbalanced, biased and abusive decision of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (CCA).
The inaction of decision makers (State Registration Chamber and Municipality Council), the bureaucratic tricks and the indifference towards the fate of journalists in this case confirm the opinion, expressed by the majority of media organizations and organizations for human rights protection, as well as representatives of the OSCE and Council of Europe, that the formal problems that emerged in relation to modification of the status of Antena C and Euro TV could and should have been solved without stopping the broadcasts and depriving the viewers and listeners of their favorite stations and alternative information sources and the journalists of their means of living.
We call on the state authorities to respond to this case of gross violation of basic human rights: the right to work, the right to information and the right to freedom of expression. The journalists from Antena C and Euro TV have resorted to this last protest form, which can have serious consequences for their health, out of despair, out of lack of trust in the authorities and out of appropriate skepticism regarding the way legislation is implemented in the Republic of Moldova.
We call on our colleagues, journalists, radio-listeners, TV-viewers and readers to support journalists from Antena C and Euro TV, not to allow the decision makers to shut us out.
We draw the attention of public opinion and international journalistic organizations to the continuous neglect by the communist authorities of agreements to respect freedom of the press, human rights and liberties.
