{"id":14492,"date":"2022-07-06T20:17:27","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T17:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cji.md\/?p=14492"},"modified":"2022-07-06T20:18:23","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T17:18:23","slug":"monthly-bulletin-june-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/monthly-bulletin-june-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Monthly Bulletin, June 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Thanks to the efforts of the IJC, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will continue to monitor the implementation of the Manole et al v. Moldova judgment<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nOn June 10, the Committee of Ministers (CM) of the Council of Europe (CoE) decided to continue monitoring the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to ensure that they properly implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in the case of Manole et al v. Moldova. Furthermore, the case has been moved from the standard monitoring procedure to the advanced monitoring procedure, these actions being a direct result of Communication 9.2. sent by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) to the CM at the end of 2021.\r\n\r\nThe IJC prepared a detailed study on the execution of this ECtHR judgment, finding that the amendments made to the content of the Audiovisual Media Services Code (AMSC) in autumn 2021 bring back into law mechanisms similar to those existing at the time of the violation. These mechanisms will prevent the closure of the supervision of the implementation of the judgment.\r\n\r\nAfter the IJC’s findings reached the CM, the CoE body decided to continue examining the case in an advanced procedure, encouraging the authorities “to review the provisions of the AMSC to ensure that they provide clear guarantees for the genuine independence of the BC and irremovability of its members, as well as to exclude possible political control of Teleradio-Moldova (TRM).”\r\n\r\nIt should be recalled that in 2009, Moldova was condemned for violating Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECtHR), which guarantees the right to free expression. The violation persisted from 2001-2006 due to the interference of state authorities in TRM\u2019s editorial policy.\r\n\r\nThe Manole et al v Moldova judgment had to wait more than twelve years for Moldova to comply with its obligation to submit to the CoE CM an appropriate Action Plan indicating the measures taken to avoid being put on the “doomed bench” again.\r\n\r\nThe IJC activities were carried out in the framework of the project “Facilitating the execution of ECtHR judgments in freedom of expression cases,” implemented with the financial support of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME).\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Gagauznews.md editor detained and suspected of war propaganda<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nNikolai Kostirkin, editor of the news portal Gagauznews.md, which was previously blocked by the authorities, was detained by law enforcement officials on the morning of June 9 under suspicion of stirring up enmity and national division, reports the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS). They conducted searches at the suspect’s home.\r\n\r\nAccording to an official statement issued by the PCCOCS, the investigation revealed that the suspect, under the state of emergency imposed in the context of the regional armed conflict in Ukraine, systematically published and disseminated propaganda justifying military aggression against Ukraine, as well as information and public speeches inciting hatred and war on the communication channels he managed and administered.\r\n\r\nProsecutors and officers searched the journalist’s home and seized objects and other items relevant to the case.\r\n\r\nThe source also states that action is to be taken to establish the entire circle of people who systematically spread biased and fabricated information among the public that instigates war.\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Cristian Rizea forced by court to deny false information about journalist Mariana Rata<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nThe politician Cristian Rizea, was forced by a June 22 decision of the Chisinau Centru District Court,”to deny the false and defamatory information, which harms the honor, dignity and professional reputation” of TV8 journalist Mariana Rata, according to TV8.md. The former Romanian MP, convicted of corruption, was also ordered to make a public apology for spreading false information and to pay moral damages in the amount of 1 leu.\r\n\r\nThe same court ordered Rizea to deny statements released in autumn 2021 on Instagram and his Youtube channel, and to delete old posts targeting the director of the “Black Box” and “Black Box PLUS” shows. Rizea is also to pay Mariana Rata legal costs of 776 lei. The judgment can be appealed to the Court of Appeal within 30 days.\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Promo-LEX: Hate speech worse in the context of the war in Ukraine<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nIn the first two months of the state of emergency in Moldova caused by the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, 83 cases of hate speech and incitement to discrimination or other forms of intolerance in the public space and in the media have been identified. Of these, 38 percent were identified in print and online media and 31% in mobile apps, according to the Promo-LEX report “Hate Speech and Incitement to Discrimination” released on June 15.\r\n\r\nAccording to the cited source, during the monitored period (24 February – 24 April 2022) the number of hate speech reports increased, but no sanctions were recorded. The most common criterion for hate speech was nationality. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the wave of refugees, hate speech and incitement to discrimination or other forms of intolerance were directed against Ukrainians, including Ukrainian politicians, Ukrainian military members, refugees of different ethnicities, and by association, also against citizens of the United States of America and Romania, the report said.\r\n\r\nAt the same time, the LGBT community has been presented as one of the “causes” of the war, and the rhetoric of “traditional Orthodox values” has been repeated \u2013 two of the elements consistently used in hate speech over the past three years.\r\n\r\nAmong the main recommendations developed by Promo-LEX is that the Government should develop and implement an awareness and information campaign on preventing and combating war propaganda and hate speech. Moreover, the Press Council and media organizations should develop and adopt tools (guidelines or recommendations) to ensure that journalistic material is objective, does not amplify hate speech, and does not spread war propaganda.\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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International conference in Chisinau: Does Moldova need an information commissioner?<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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In the context of the drafting of a new law on access to information, the option of creating a specialized institution, such as an information commissioner, to ensure that the right to access to information is respected was discussed recently in Chisinau. The international conference “Effective implementation of the right to information: from a new law on access to information to institutional changes in the Republic of Moldova,” held in early June, was attended by European and local experts and representatives of several authorities. These included Helen Darbshire, Council of Europe, Dawid Sze\u015bci\u0142o, EU-Moldova Association Project, Dejan Milenkovi\u0107, University of Belgrade, Elona Hoxnaj, Office of the Commissioner for Information and Personal Data Protection of Albania, Liliana Rusu, Head of Policy Analysis, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the Ministry of Justice, People’s Advocate Ceslav Panico, and Freedom House Representative in Moldova Tatiana Puiu. While some experts say the initiative is timely, others point out that the implementation of this goal is still a ways away.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Facebook removed a post by Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban for using “hate speech”<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nThe May 31 post by the mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, which aimed to ban the march in support of the LGBT community in Chisinau, has been removed by the company Meta from the social media platform Facebook. Meta removed the post, because it violated the network’s policies on promoting “hate speech,” reports Radio Free Europe. This is the first known case of Meta removing a post of a Moldovan politician, the article said.\r\n\r\nThe removal of the mayor’s post was confirmed by a Meta spokeswoman: “We have removed this post for violating our anti-hate speech policy, namely because the post excludes a protected feature.”\r\n\r\nThe source notes that “protected characteristics” include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or denomination, gender and sexual orientation. Facebook’s policies also prohibit the use of hate speech defined as a “direct attack on people” based on protected characteristics.\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Victoria Coroban has resigned as director of Radio Moldova: The differences in vision between me and the director general are too great<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Differing management visions and disagreements over some of the topics broadcast on the radio are said to be the reasons that led journalist Victoria Coroban to resign as director of the public broadcaster Radio Moldova after half a year on the job.\r\n\r\n“The main problem is the great differences in the management visions in terms of managing teams we have with the general director, given the complicated working conditions there. I am a believer in communication, team cooperation, encouraging people, supporting them, giving them guidance. Here our perspectives are also different,” said Victoria Coroban.\r\n\r\nThe former deputy director-general believes that reforming public radio requires “a lot of fresh forces on the team, for whom the rules and principles of journalism are a matter of course,” as well as more of a “professional culture.” Coroban added, “Somewhere along the way this approach, these values of accuracy, balance, precision – the basic rules of journalism – have been lost.”\r\n\r\nAsked by IJC’s Media Azi portal to comment on the journalist’s departure, TRM’s General Director Vlad Turcanu refused to give a reaction on the grounds that he did not want to discuss with the press “the internal debates we have at Teleradio-Moldova.”<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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“It is a priority to leave the Radio House.” TRM director general on plans to reform the company<\/a><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Abandoning the Radio House building due to high maintenance costs is said to be among the options being considered by TRM management when it comes to reforming the institution. TRM Director General Vlad Turcanu spoke to members of the Supervisory and Development Board (SDB) half a year after taking office about the difficulties faced by the team and the solutions available to improve the situation.\r\n\r\nAmong the problems he found when he took office were the editorial policy of the media services, the fact that the institution “was politically manipulated,” and that the institution was “underfunded.”\r\n\r\nWith respect to infrastructure, he pointed out that both Mesager studios and other TV premises are in “unfit” conditions, even though a large part of the budget allocated by Parliament goes to the maintenance of the premises.\r\n\r\n“In broadcasting, in the winter months, we pay 30,000 euros a month for maintenance. So it is a priority to leave the Radio House, to sell it or to give it to the state in order to optimize the premises, which should have been done at least two decades ago,” said Turcanu.\r\n\r\nIf the property were to be sold, the company would get around 15 million euros, money that could be allocated to development, says the TRM general director.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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The same news bulletins on Primul in Moldova and NTV Moldova, as well as on two GMG stations. Media expert: “It’s an anomaly”<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\n