Listeners Say Security Service Summons Persons Interviewed by Radio Station for Opinions During a Live Broadcast

The radio station Antena C from Chisinau announced on Tuesday that many radio listeners have been summoned by the domestic security service SIS for questioning about their criticism against the communist authorities during a live night broadcast called "Hyde Park".

A listener, identified as Ion Smoleanchin, said on Tuesday that he has been repeatedly demanded to show up at the SIS headquarters to give explanations about his statements in a the "Hyde Park" programme. According to Smoleanchin, investigator Vasile Scaletchi has told him that he was acting on orders from Prosecutor-General Vasile Rusu, who requested that all radio critics be questioned.

The chairman of the Lawyers for Human Rights, Vitalie Nagacevschi, said that three persons have asked legal assistance from this non-government organisation after being summoned by SIS. Famous painter Isai Carmu is one of them, Nagacevschi stated. Investigator Scaletchi confirmed for Nagacevschi that he had summoned Carmu for "verification of his statement about an offence" which the painted had mentioned in a "Hyde Park" broadcast.

Nobody can be punished for expression of an opinion in the mass media, and the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed by Article 10 of European Convention of Human Rights and Article 32 from the Moldovan Constitution, Nagacevschi stressed.

Contacted by the interviewer for comments on the allegations, the chairman of the Helsinki-Moldova Committee, Stefan Uratu, said that the state authorities should encourage the citizens to freely express their thoughts, because this is a way to feel the pulse of governance and make things better. If the SIS does more than verifications of a reported offence, it can be accused of suppression of the freedom of expression.

SIS spokesman Vitalie Burzacovschi said the SIS actions did not overcome the legal framework. He said the security service would issue an official statement for the press in connection with the questioning of radio listeners.

Maria Vieru, chief expert for mass media relations within the Prosecutor-General's Office, dismissed the information that the prosecutor-general has ordered the SIS to question any persons who had shared their opinions during the broadcast.

Asked to comment on the incident connected to the Antena C broadcast, Communist faction leader Victor Stepaniuc told the press on Tuesday that people who claim to be summoned by the SIS to ask questions may ask an audience with him personally or with the chief of the parliamentary commission for state security in order to prove that they were told to show up at the SIS because of critical opinions against the Communist power.

If the questioning was focused on opinions launched during the live radio broadcast, the SIS actions are illegal, he said.

At the same time, the Communist faction leader stressed that the irresponsible public declarations may be sanctioned and the state or its representatives are free to defend themselves from defamatory statements in accordance with the law.

According to the opposition press, President Vladimir Voronin was extremely dissatisfied in connection with questioning held by the SIS employees and asked the SIS director for explanations.

BASA-PRESS

March 20 2003

Listeners Say Security Service Summons Persons Interviewed by Radio Station for Opinions Expressed During a Live Broadcast

Listeners of the municipal radio station Antena C say they were summoned on Wednesday by the domestic security service SIS for verifications after beeing interviewed during a live broadcast on topics about a regime change.

The chairman of the Lawyers for Human Rights, Vitalie Nagacevschi, who assisted famous painter Isai Carmu, one of the questioned persons, stated to BASA that SIS staff told him they verify "a potential call for overthrowing of the state regime through violence" - an offence contained in Article 64 of the Penal Code. Nagacevschi stressed that the investigators were correct during the questioning and told Carmu that "he was not in the sphere of their interests" after two questions.

SIS spokesman Vitalie Burzacovschi avoided statements on this issue.

The radio station Antena C from Chisinau announced on Tuesday that many radio listeners had been summoned by the SIS for questioning about their criticism against the communist authorities during a live night broadcast called "Hyde Park".

Contacted by the interviewer for comments on the allegations, the chairman of the Helsinki-Moldova Committee, Stefan Uratu, said that the state authorities should encourage the citizens to freely express their thoughts, because this is a way to feel the pulse of governance and make things better. If the SIS does more than verifications of a reported offence, it can be accused of illegal actions of political policy which is banned by law.

According to the opposition press, President Vladimir Voronin was extremely dissatisfied in connection with "the erroneous understanding by the SIS how to guard the state security." Some papers speculated that some SIS officials could be fired.

BASA-PRESS

March 24 2003

SIS Comments on Scandal Connected To Questioning of Radio Listeners

Officials from the domestic security service SIS said on Monday that the special services have questioned four listeners to a live night broadcast called "Hyde Park" of the Chisinau-based radio station Antena C for having called on "overthrowing of the constitutional elected regime through violence, civic non-obedience and interethnic intolerance."

SIS spokesman Vitalie Burzacovschi told a news conference on Monday that the SIS staff have delivered documents issued on names of four radio listeners to the General-Prosecutor's Office, which will take a decision in this regard. However, prosecutors have refused to file criminal cases against these persons because no offence has been recorded, Burzacovschi said.

According to Burzacovschi, the SIS has summoned the radio listeners after it had monitored the "Hyde Park" programmes during half and a year, "at the request of certain citizens", and made the conclusion that the four persons had called on overthrowing of state order, civic non-obedience and xenophobia.

On the other hand, the SIS spokesman affirmed that the statements of four listeners have been determined by their poor political culture, adding that, in reality, they did not aim at achieving what they have publicly said. In exchange, the moderators of "Hyde Park" are to blame for failure to stop them before delivering such statements, Burzaconschi stressed. SIS has asked the Prosecutor-General's Office and Coordinating Audiovisual Council "to take a decision" in connection with "Hyde Park", he added.

The SIS staff banned "Hyde park" moderator Oleg Brega to take part in the news conference held by Burzacovschi.

The chairman of the Lawyers for Human Rights, Vitalie Nagacevschi, accused the SIS of attempt to intimidate the citizens who share other political ideals than of the Communist power by using an alleged call on overthrowing of constitutional order or xenophobia. This attempt has failed thanks to firmness of four citizens and prompt reaction of press, Nagacevschi stated. If authorities suspend the "Hyde Park" broadcast or licence of Antena C, they will breach both the European Convention of Human Rights and Moldovan Constitution, which provide the right to opinion and freedom of expression, he warned.

The radio station Antena C from Chisinau announced on March 18 that many radio listeners had been summoned by the SIS for questioning about their criticism against the communist authorities during a live night broadcast called "Hyde Park".

According to moderators, the listeners have been accused of launching criticism against the state authorities during the "Hyde park".

Earlier, Communist faction leader Victor Stepaniuc has told the press that if the questioning was focused on opinions launched during the live radio broadcast, the SIS actions are illegal.

At the same time, the Communist faction leader has stressed that the irresponsible public declarations may be sanctioned and the state or its representatives are free to defend themselves from defamatory statements in accordance with the law.

Many non-government organisations have criticized the SIS actions, describing them as attack against freedom of expression.

BASA-PRESS

March 24 2003

ISS Strangulates the Freedom of Expression at "Hyde Park"

Last days the authorities from Chisinau launched a new attack on the liberty of expression and the right to opinion. This time, their target is the well-known interactive show "Hyde Park" of "Antena C" radio station. The host of the show, Oleg Brega, declared live on March 18 that many radio listeners have been called and interrogated by Information and Security Service staff. These are blamed that during "Hyde Park" night show criticize the authorities The issue has been quickly taken by some right oriented independent newspapers that show newspaper fraternity when it comes to press freedom protection. "Timpul" publishes "ISS goes out hunting in "Hyde Park", FLUX - "ISS sticks the fist into the mouth of "Hyde Park", "Jurnal" - "Hyde Park Scandal" discussed offices of ISS". Thus, it was discovered that the investigator of ISS, Vasile Skaletki, sent summons and interrogated some of the radio listeners that are more active during "Hyde Park" interactive show, among which Ion Smolenchin, Nina Marleanu, Valeriu Vidrascu and the painter Isai Carmu. Further, during their radio interventions at "Hyde Park" they confirmed that they have been interrogated namely by Vasile Skaletki. Ion Smoleanchin, known as "Ion from Durlesti" and Isai Carmu declared that they have been asked to give explanations regarding the statements made during "Hyde Park".

Vasile Skaletki denies the fact that he initiated this action at his bosses' orders although in some cases he admitted he started the interrogations following the orders of the general prosecutor, Vasile Rusu, who commanded him to talk to all those who slander Authority during "Hyde Park". The General Prosecution denies its implication.

Victor Stepaniuc, the leader of communist parliamentary group, stated that if the opinions launched during the radio show were the object of the interrogations, ISS actions seem to be illegal. "But if the radio listeners slander the authorities during radio shows, the authorities have the right to summon them, to try to punish them if possible" Stepaniuk declared.

FLUX writes that Voronin showed his dissatisfaction with the interrogations to which ISS staff resorted and called the director of this institution, Ion Ursu to ask for explanations. However, during the discussions with the chief of security, Vladimir Voronin criticized the Direction for supervision of constitutional order of ISS that does not react promptly to anti-state and anti-constitutional manifestations coming from radical and destructive elements.

The last Saturday in a live show on the national radio station, the Prime Minister Tarlev, answering the question of a listener mentioned that many participants of "Hyde Park" violate the Constitution and they must be punished. He declared, referring to Antena C, that it has "a reactionary position concerning the destruction of the Moldovan state". "The authorities will defend the rights of all cititens, namely of those who consider the Republic of Moldova an independent and sovereign state, with territorial integrity" Tarlev said.

Vitalie Nagacevschi, the president of the non-governmental organization "The Jurists for human rights" underlined that no one can be held responsible for expressing personal opinion in mass-media, Article 10 of the European Convention for human rights and Article 32 of the Constitution of RM guarantying the right to the freedom of expression. When invited to discuss live at "Hyde Park" the summon of radio listeners by secret services, Stefan Uratu, the president of Helsinki Committee of the Republic of Moldova mentioned that if ISS staff passed beyond the framework of the verification of the violations pointed out by listeners, these could be held responsible for suppressing the right to freedom of expression.

The show has not been forbidden for now and the radio listeners became more active during "Hyde Park". Although some newspapers wrote that ISS will also interrogate the host of the show, Oleg Brega has not received any summon yet. "If I am called in, I will go, but I will not accept the security staff to teach me what is journalist deontology" he declared.

Anyway, state authorities that represent the Communist Party will search for different reasons to forbid this radio show, which became a model of freedom of expression in a post totalitarian society. Our opinion is that in this case ISS actions are part of a undeclared strategy of high officials to strangulate the freedom of expression in the Republic of Moldova. The independent press is the only one that hinders the existing authorities to polish their image through lies, to restore the state mechanism through old soviet methods. Particularly in this sense, the structures of security service that have a good experience related to censorship, have been used in case of "Hyde Park".

On the other side, the same authorities, wanted to see again how the civil society reacts to certain interdictions, by launching the campaign of "fighting against slanderers from night shows at Antena C. Moreover, local elections are coming up and the existing governing party prepares its ground for a huge victory in order to strengthen its power not only "vertically" but also horizontally. The most strategic point of these elections will be Chisinau City Hall, which communists strive for many years and "Hyde Park" to which the citizens of Chisinau take part is like a pain in the neck because during the show the problems of our society are openly discussed. For as one of my colleagues mentioned "to talk openly about our society means to oppose the existing Authorities". That is why the Authorities are ready to resort even to its force services. It depends on how will civil society react in such cases.

Gheorghe BUDEANU

STATION DIRECTOR, JOURNALIST SUMMONED FOR QUESTIONING.

On 17 April, the office of the Chisinau prosecutor issued summons to Ion Bunduchi, director of the popular city-funded Antena C radio station, and reporter Oleg Brega for questioning about the popular call-in show "Hyde Park" hosted by Brega. The security service had urged the prosecutor's office to investigate the possibility of opening a legal suit on charges of "incitement" against the station staff. Antena C has repeatedly come under criticism from communist authorities, the Independent Journalism Center Moldova Media News reported on 24 April. CC

RFE/RL

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Moldova: Antena C scraps late night talk show
24 June 2003
Chisinau radio station Antena C has scrapped its late night talk show Hyde Park after the Audiovisual Council CCA demanded a crackdown on what it referred to as "calls for violence, xenophobia, and upset of the constitutional order." Some listeners have repeatedly been urging the reunification of Moldova with Romania.
Antena C director Ion Bunduchi said a handful of listeners felt no shame in using the programme for 'obscene expressions'. He accused the programme's host, Oleg Brega, of failing to take listeners off the air when they went too far. Bunduchi said the show would reopen in mid-September with a new name and different content.
According to Brega, Bunduchi's decision to comply with the CCA's decision is a "betrayal". Brega claims the decision is "illegal" and is a result of pressures from the communist authorities on the electronic media. "The panicking authorities only can close something that speaks out the truth," said Brega.
CCA chairman Ion Mihailo said that the CCA cannot be held responsible for scrapping the show, because it had only asked the station to take measures to ensure that its broadcasts meet the rules of decency and the letter of law. However, the CCA did warn Antena C that if it failed to act it could lose its operating licence. A proposal from one CCA member to immediately withdraw the licence was defeated by a majority vote. If Antena C were to lose its licence, it would be unable to claim another one for three years.
© Radio Netherlands Media Network

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