According to the information received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR, the crew of the First Pridnestrovian TV channel consisting of three persons moving to Komrat was stopped by Moldovan policemen near the village Gyrbovets yesterday, February 2, 2014, around 6:30 in the morning.
Without explanation, identity documents were confiscated from Pridnestrovian journalists, allegedly for the purpose of checking. Altogether Pridnestrovian representatives spent more than an hour on the border between Moldova and Pridnestrovie. After that, several representatives of the Republic of Moldova in civilian clothes arrived to the migration control point of RM and demanded that the Pridnestrovian journalists followed them to the police station of the Anenii Noi village. Over there, employees of the Pridnestrovian TV and Radio Company spent about half an hour, answering the variety of questions, and the TV channel car (with appropriate identification marks) was subjected to a thorough physical examination and photographing. Only after all these procedures were completed, closer to the dinner time, one of Moldova's representatives escorted the vehicle with Pridnestrovian journalists back to the border, where they were given back their identification documents and asked to leave the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The basis for their expulsion was the fact that they had no accreditation for work on the territory of the Republic Moldova.
Press Service of the PMR's MFA reports that, unfortunately, such cases causing bewilderment are becoming regular. We recall that last December the PGTRK crew was also stopped by Moldovan policeman and the reason for not allowing the journalists on the territory of Moldova was also lack of accreditation. Foreign Ministry's response was reflected in its statement (http://mfa-pmr.org/index.php?newsid=3603), as well as in official address to the political representative of RM Yevgeny Karpov (and representatives of the “5 +2” members) requesting clarification of the order of interaction of Pridnestrovian media with public authorities of the Republic of Moldova during their activity on the territory of Moldova. Unfortunately Pridnestrovian side has not received the answer yet. However, as previously reported, in the course of the “5+2” meeting during the Brussels round Yevgeny Karpov declared that accreditation for the Pridnestrovian journalists is not required.
The incident, according to the Pridnestrovian side, is contrary to the spirit of constructive and non-conflict interaction. Pridnestrovie regards actions taken by Moldovan officials as an unfriendly act, which violates the existing agreement between the parties in the sphere of free movement and international practice, as well as fundamental principles of journalism and media freedom.
The Pridnestrovian side considers interrogation of the Pridnestrovian journalists in the police Commissariat of Anenii Noi village and the physical examination of their transport to be a direct and gross violation of human rights. Pridnestrovie looks to an adequate reaction from the “5+2” format participants in relation to inadequate unilateral measures taken by Moldova, and also requires clarification of the official position of the Republic of Moldova concerning the order of access of Pridnestrovian mass media onto the territory of Moldova, taking into consideration readiness of Pridnestrovian media to undergo accreditation procedures, which was earlier more than once stated by the Pridnestrovian side.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR will continue to closely monitor the situation connected with ensuring the right of the Pridnestrovian journalists for the objective coverage of political processes in the Republic of Moldova.
