The discussion of the detention of the Pridnestrovian journalists at the border with Moldova caused contentious debate between the political representatives during the meeting held today.
We recall that on February 2, 2014 three members of the shooting team of the First Pridnestrovian TV Channel moving to Komrat to cover the referendum in Gagauzia were stopped by Moldovan policemen near the village Gyrbovets, sent to the police station of Novye Aneny, interrogated and removed from the territory of Moldova. In fact, without explaining the reasons the Pridnestrovian journalists were refused to cover important political events arranged in the Republic of Moldova. (refer to the “Statement by Press Service of the PMR's MFA”).
At the meeting the political representative of Moldova revealed new details concerning the incident: according to him, the traffic police of Moldova decided not to allow entering the territory of the country by the Pridnestrovian journalists, because the journalists did not informed immediately that they were destined for Gagauzia; moreover, “the journalists were recommended by the Moldovan police not to make videos in Gagauzia.” According to the Head of the Foreign Ministry, it is alarming evidence of a serious violation of freedom of the media.
Today, the political representative of Moldova Yevgeny Karpov reaffirmed that accreditation for the Pridnestrovian journalists is not required to work on the territory of Moldova. Despite the statement by the political representative of Moldova which differs from the reality, the Pridnestrovian side proposed to develop an accreditation mechanism for the Pridnestrovian journalists in Moldova and warned against the situation when the Pridnestrovian journalists would require similar attitude to Moldovan journalists in Pridnestrovie.
