PromoLEX | The newspapers hunt began in Transnistrian region

The newspapers hunt began in Transnistrian region

Promo-LEX Association is acutely concerned about the continuous decrease related to the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression in the Transnistrian region, as well as it would give priority to the lack of mechanism for defending activists, journalists and human rights defenders in the uncontrolled area.

Recently, the representatives of Transnistrian militia have commenced the mass withdrawal of the single newspaper on human rights, corruption and politics «Человек и его права» („Chelovek i ego Prava”/The Person and his/her rights). Numerous militiamen have seized the latest issue of the newspaper printed on 28 September 2016 from the delivery boxes in the private and residential areas, but also from the public spaces . Such actions took place in Bender and Râbnița, within 3-4 October 2016. Many inhabitants were stopped by militia being intimidated and prevented from reading or distributing the newspaper . According to the local militia, the newspaper contains defamatory articles about the leader Evghenii Șevciuc.

Nicolai Buceațchi, the editor of the newspaper «Человек и его права», believes that the attacks on the are part of the common scenario of the de facto administration in view of limiting the freedom of expression in the region. He says that the editorial has continuously been subject to administrative and legal repression and the activist physically aggressed. During 15 years of functioning, the editorial has faced a number of challenges, but the incident on 3 October 2016 is rather strange. Nicolai Buceațchi says he had been notified about the initiation of an criminal investigation and afterwards, on 5 October 2015 he received a document requesting the disclosure of data of the authors of articles from the issue printed on 28 September 2016. These intimidation actions hamper both the activity of the editorial and the access to the population’s information from alternative sources.

The inhabitants are worried about the pressure on the journalists and subsequently the advancement of the draft law on tightening the criminal and administrative liability for the offence. The draft at issue provides for criminal sanctions in the form of fines amounting from aprox. EUR 400 to 700, unpaid labor from 200 to 240 hrs. or correctional labor from 6 to 12 months. The amendments shall become effective as of 19 October 2016. The author of the initiative, the administration of Tiraspol leader has notified that the tightening complies with the rules of the Russian Federation.

Such actions by the local bodies are contrary to the international standards in the area entitling any person with the right to freedom of expression. This covers the right to freedom of expression and the right to receive and impart information and ideas regardless the public authorities and frontiers.

Previously, the Association jointly with other international organizations has expressed its concerns about the situation of the human rights defenders and the defenders of the journalists who are persecuted by the secessionist administration, see details here .

In this context, we repeatedly require the constitutional authorities and the international bodies the following:

To require de facto administration to ensure the right to freedom of expression in the region;
To require de facto administration to stop any forms of limiting the civil freedoms of the population;
To establish mechanisms for the protection of activists, journalists and the human rights defenders in the Transnistrian region.

October 5, 2016

Почему милиция гоняется за газетой «Человек и его права»