Media Azi Cartoon. Veaceslav Lupov as a “Guard” of Taraclia Mayor’s Office

Filming and audio recording of public sessions and other events held in Taraclia Mayor’s Office was prohibited by Veaceslav Lupov, the mayor of the town. A journalist from Tuk.md, a local online publication, has written about the mayor’s decision: according to the article, before the Town Council meeting on April 20, Lupov tried to prevent filming and live broadcast of the meeting based on a “provision” issued a day before. Moreover, to get permission to film and to take photos, journalists will be required to obtain accreditation from the Mayor’s Office staff, not to mention a usual press card.

The mayor explains his decision by the fact that the local public authorities’ sessions are also broadcast via their social media accounts. But the cherry on the cake is that the “provision” is supposedly based on the Constitution, the Law on Freedom of Expression, the Law on Access to Information, and other acts related to the transparency of the decision-making process. Where was Mayor Veaceslav Lupov searching for inspiration to introduce such practices? We have no idea. We just remember that he was lined up by the Sor Party whose leader apparently has no scruples about threatening journalists with the lustration law and waving his belt.