Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 14:05:01 -0700
From: "Moderator" <moderator@civilsoc.org>
To: <civilsoc@vhost1.partners-intl.net>
Subject: [CivilSoc]
Media Organization Protests Moldovan Government Pressure on Flux
Press Group
H. E. Vladimir Voronin
President of the Republic of Moldova
Chisinau
Moldova
Fax: + 373 2 23 77 42
Vienna, 20 May 2003
Your Excellency,
The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO,
http://www.freemedia.at/seemo), a network of editors, media executives and
leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the
International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about the pressure
that the government is exercising on the Flux Press Group in Moldova.
According to information before SEEMO, on 20 March 2003 the Flux Press daily
and weekly print publications and its news agency published information on
the involvement of the businessman and former honorary consul of Lebanon to
Chisinau, Mahmoud Hamoud, in the sale of weapons to the Hezbullah guerilla
group. On 24 April, the businessman denied the allegations and filed a libel
suit against the Flux Press Group.
On 13 May 2003 the Prosecutor's Office of Chisinau municipality ordered a
search of the Flux Press Group offices. The search started at 4 p.m. and
lasted for several hours. During the search, journalists were forbidden to
use the phones and to contact lawyers. Also, material related to this case,
such as e-mails, computer files and documents, were copied from the
electronic archives of the publication. The accounting section of the
publisher was also searched for working contracts in connection with the
article. Flux's weekly editor-in-chief, Igor Burciu; his deputy, Vitalie
Calugareanu; general editorial secretary Angela Ivanesi; and editor Liliana
Popusoi, were summoned to the Prosecutor's Office to testify. On the next
day, secret service agents questioned the journalists in their offices about
the article and the name of the author, who used a pseudonym.
In SEEMO's opinion, this is an attack on the journalistic profession and on
press freedom in Moldova. SEEMO urges Your Excellency to return the
confiscated files and equipment to the Flux Press Group and to allow the
journalists to work freely, without government harassment.
We thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General
SEEMO - IPI, Spiegelgasse 2/29, 1010 Vienna, Austria,
Tel (SEEMO+HELP LINE): +43 1 513 39 40, Tel (IPI): +43 1 512 90 11,
Fax: +43 1 512 90 15, E-mail:
seemo@journalist.com,
http://www.freemedia.at/seemo