Photojournalist Elena Covalenco, who was declared “undesirable” by the illegal Transnistrian administration on September 21, 2023, made a call to UEFA so as to draw attention to the concerns about the holding of UEFA matches in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova and to the restrictions and risks faced by journalists, IPN reports.
“The restriction is an unjustified violation of the international norms that protect the freedom of expression and the freedom of the media. The de facto administration from this territory of the Republic of Moldova prevents journalists from disseminating information of public interest and deliberately obstructs their work,” Promo-LEX Association noted in a press release.
The photojournalist and representatives of the Association said that in the given circumstances, the staging of the UEFA Europa League matches in this temporarily occupied territory of Moldova, where Russian troops stay illegally, is worrisome for the reason that the security guarantees offered by the illegal administration or the Sheriff conglomerate are not credible, legal and legitimate, while the oppressive system in Tiraspol flagrantly violates the human rights, benefiting simultaneously from impunity at national and international levels.
Owing to the unclear status of the region, the security concerns and the alarming human rights situation in the Transnistrian region, UEFA should engage in discussions only with the legitimate and constitutional authorities of the country. For example, in accordance with the UEFA decision, Belarus must stage the home games on neutral ground. This firm position should be applied consistently in other similar cases or the UEFA rules and regulations will be vitiated or selective, noted Promo-Lex.
“We consider that UEFA, as an organization that recognizes the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, should act firmly and appropriately so as to contribute to the promotion of peace and the observance of the values and principles it promotes. Relying on the Human Rights Commitment adopted in 2021 and its statutes, the UEFA Executive committee should review its decision to allow holding matches in temporarily occupied regions and should take into consideration measures to ensure the respect for the human rights and integrity of the press and the safety of all the participants in sports events,” stated Promo-LEX.
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