Your Excellency,
The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe, and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned over the attack on Alina Anghel, an investigative journalist for the weekly newspaper Timpul. According to information before SEEMO, on 23 June, Anghel was attacked by two unknown persons on the block where she lives in Chisinau. The attackers beat her with a crowbar and disappeared before the arrival of the police. She was taken to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a brain injury and a fractured left arm.
SEEMO is further informed that Anghel received several threatening telephone calls after the publication of an article that revealed a car transaction between the State Chancellery and a local company, Daac-Hermes, and that the attack came on the eve of a court hearing of the libel action brought by the company against Timpul. Daac-Hermes is seeking almost US$ 2 million in damages.
As SEEMO has been informed by its local partners, the Independent Journalism Centre, Press Freedom Committee, Access-Info Centre, Association of Independent Press and Association of Electronic Press (APEL), the attack on the journalist comes at a time when the press freedom situation in Moldova is deteriorating, and the authorities are trying to maintain control over National Radio and Television at any price and to limit the voice of the independent press.
SEEMO condemns the attack on Alina Anghel and asks the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to ensure a thorough investigation into this case and to bring those responsible to justice. We would remind Your Excellency that a safe working environment for journalists is a fundamental principle of any democratic society and we hope that the Moldavian officials will solve this case in a timely manner.
We thank you for your attention.