The TV channels whose licenses were suspended were financed with illegal funds and aimed to undermine the Republic of Moldova, President Maia Sandu said after the Commission for Exceptional Situations decided to suspend the broadcast licenses of another six TV channels for the period of the state of emergency. The official noted that such sanctions are imposed on the media outlets that misinform also in the EU member states where the level of democracy is much higher than in the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.
On October 30, at the proposal of the Security and Intelligence Service, the Commission for Exceptional Situations decided to suspend the broadcast licenses of six TV channels, namely Orizont TV, ITV, Prime, Publika TV, Canal 2, and Canal 3.
“We have the explanations of the Government and the Commission for Exceptional Situations. These TV channels are financed with illegal funds and respectively deal with propaganda and disinformation. The purpose of the media is different. The press should correctly and objectively inform and the illegal financing comes from the same grouping and pursues the same objectives of undermining the state, of undermining democracy, of hampering the European integration of the Republic of Moldova. This is the solution found by the Government to this problem. Content is needed, including in the Russian language which is rather scarce for the Russian-speaking citizens here. They should work on this as the truth should be told also in the Russian language, not only in the Romanian language,” Maia Sandu stated in the program “Secrets of the Power” on JurnalTV channel.
President Sandu said the imposition of gradual sanctions on media institutions that misinform is an instrument used in times of peace. If national security is in danger, much more drastic sanctions are imposed.
“The illegal financing is a problem for the democratic process in general. We will continue fighting this illegal financing, either it goes to the press, political parties or the election campaign. If we look at the U.S., TV channels there were sanctioned also by directs methods and didn’t go to court. The court is a method used in times of peace and when the institutions function. When the institutions do not function and the risks to state security are big, such instruments are used. I repeat, we can see something similar in the member states of the European Union where the democratic standards are higher than in the Republic of Moldova, but such methods are accepted there,” stated Maia Sandu.
According to the SIS repot, the six TV channels whose broadcast licenses were suspended are managed by the criminal groups Shor and Plahotniuc, which, through third parties, act in concert to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova. They are financed by different suspicious schemes based on partnerships with persons put on international sanctions lists.
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