Cristian Rizea Obliged by the Court to Disprove False Information about TV8

Politician Cristian Rizea was again obliged by the court “to disprove false and defamatory information which harms the honor, dignity, and professional reputation” of Media Alternativa, the company which owns TV8 channel. According to the Chisinau Court decision of July 6, the Romanian ex-deputy convicted of corruption, also had to delete several materials published on his YouTube channel in 2021.

According to the magistrates’ decision, false and defamatory information regarding the Media Alternativa association was published by Cristian Rizea on his Instagram and Youtube accounts on several days in September 2021. The posts refer to such journalists as Natalia Morari, Mariana Rata, and Angela Gonta, as well as the activity of the TV8 channel, sources of funding for the channel, and allegedly embezzled amounts of money from the grants.

Rizea will have to publish a denouncement to acknowledge the fact that the information he provided in the public space “is false, untrue, derogatory, and devoid of factual basis, and impacts the reputation of the TV8 channel.” In addition, the politician will have to delete the posts published on the relevant days from his public YouTube channel.

The decision may be appealed against at the Chisinau Court of Appeal. Cristian Rizea was also ordered to disprove false and defamatory information regarding journalist Mariana Rata in June 2022.