In the context of escalating cases of intimidation, assault, and harassment of journalists in the Republic of Moldova, the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), together with eight other media organizations, is calling on the authorities to strengthen, as a matter of priority, legal guarantees for the safety and protection of media workers. The most recent incident was recorded on Thursday, July 3.
In the afternoon of July 3, TV8 journalist Andrei Captarenco was hit on the head with a flag by a protester who had come to support Bashkan Evghenia Guț at a new court hearing, when she was to learn her sentence in the case in which she is accused of illegally financing the former Șor party.
The IJC points out that in the last two weeks alone, at least five reporters have been intimidated, assaulted, and/or harassed. At the PSRM rally on June 23, reporters from the media project Fără Filtre, Constantin Niculae and Veronica Gherbovețchi, were targeted with intimidation and physical assault by some participants in the demonstration. Nadejda Roșcovanu, a photojournalist for Jurnal.md, was also assaulted on June 27 inside the City Hall by municipal councilor Ludmila Polodiuc, deputy chair of the MAN faction. On July 1, during a court hearing on the criminal case against the mayor of Gagauzia, journalist Măriuța Nistor from Ziarul de Gardă was intimidated and threatened by Alexei Lungu, president of the “Șansă” party, affiliated with Ilan Șor.
The non-governmental organization, together with other co-signatory NGOs, calls in a public appeal for the perpetrators to be held accountable and reiterates the need to review the legal framework for the protection of journalists, including by improving regulations establishing criminal liability for attacks and intimidation against the press. The media NGOs also call for: the creation of a monitoring, alert, and rapid response mechanism; training for the competent authorities, in particular the police and the prosecution service, on the specificities of investigations into cases of violence or intimidation against the press, as well as the allocation of the necessary resources for the effective enforcement of the law; ensuring the safety of journalists by the General Police Inspectorate during protests and public events.
Media Azi previously reported that the Ministry of Culture intends to approve an action plan to strengthen the safety of journalists in the second half of 2025. This would include monitoring, legislative review, training, and public campaigns. The initiative took shape in the context of calls from media NGOs denouncing the increase in attacks on the press and the ineffectiveness of current legal safeguards. A first parliamentary discussion on this topic took place in April.