The Former Government of the Democratic Party Intercepted the Journalists’ Conversations

The president of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Public Order, Chiril Moţpan presented during a press briefing a list of the persons who would’ve been intercepted during the Democratic Party government, one of them being ZdG’s Executive Director, Alina Radu. Shortly after the declaration, the NGOs media organizations asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to refute or confirm the information regarding the interceptions of over 20 experts, journalists, and activists from different fields. 

On November 21, during the TV Show Cabinetul din Umbră, from Jurnal TV, the President of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Public Order, Chiril Moțpan, declared that when the Democratic Party was in government more journalists would’ve been intercepted.  

“There were over 12 thousand interceptions. And the press was in the spotlight,” Chiril Moţpan said.

At the same time, Moţpan also presented a list of the persons who would have been intercepted during the Democratic Party government, among which there are several journalists: Alina Radu (ZdG), Anatolie Durbală (Jurnal TV), Constantin Cheianu (Jurnal TV), Natalia Morari (TV8), Mariana Rața (TV8), Angela Gonța (TV8), Aurica Jardan (Unimedia), etc.

Later on, representatives of the media NGOs in the country called on the Office of the Prosecutor General, to carry out an objective investigation and to act in the spirit of transparency.

“We remind that the Supreme Law provides that respect and protection of the person is a primary duty of the state. Likewise, the Constitution states that “the citizens of the Republic of Moldova benefit from the protection of the state” and that “the state respects and protects the intimate, family and private life.” 

Also, through this document, the Republic of Moldova is committed to ensuring the secrecy of telephone calls and other legal means of communication. We mention that the European Convention on Human Rights, by article 8, stipulates that every person has the right to respect for his private and family life, his domicile and his correspondence ”, the organizations stated in the declaration.

The Center for Independent Journalism, Association of Independent Press, Association of Electronic Press, Center for Journalistic Investigations, Committee on Press Freedom, Association of Independent Journalists and RISE Moldova were the ones that signed the declaration. 

RISE Moldova previously wrote that in recent years the authorities have carried out a real campaign of intercepting and spinning opponents of the Democratic Party government. 

The operation took place under the cover of three similar criminal files, started on the basis of Facebook messages or statements at press conferences, where 52 people, including politicians, representatives of civil society and even journalists, were recruited under the scrutiny of prosecutors and police officers. 

In addition to intercepting phone calls, some have also been monitored for privacy. In the houses were installed microphones and video cameras.