Russian Foreign Ministry accuses Moldova of oppressing Russians as propaganda TV channels have licences suspended

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Chișinău of oppressing Moldova’s Russian minority after it decided to revoke the broadcasting licences of six TV channels that had been spreading propaganda about the war in Ukraine.

This is claimed in a statement published on Saturday by the Russian Foreign Ministry, reports European Pravda.

"We consider this ban to be an unprecedented act of political censorship, a mockery of the principle of media pluralism, and a gross disregard for the right to freedom of access to information, to which the political leadership of the Republic [of Moldova] regularly claims to be committed," the ministry said in the statement.

"In light of the unprecedented consequences of its implementation for the Russian-speaking section of the country's population, we also regard it as a cynical oppression of the rights of national minorities."

The Russian Foreign Ministry is calling on specialised international organisations to "give an adequate assessment of what happened and take all appropriate measures to rectify this unacceptable situation".

The commission on emergency situations, which was set up in Moldova when the war in Ukraine started, suspended the licences of six TV channels on the evening of 16 December. The channels are TV6, Orhei TV, Primul in Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova and RTR Moldova.

The order issued by the commission states that the decision to suspend the licences was taken to protect the national information space and prevent the risk of disinformation and attempts to manipulate public opinion. It is alleged that the channels have been spreading false information in their coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that protecting the national information space is an important step to prevent destabilisation attempts by sanctioned individuals.

The pro-Russian Party of Socialists of Moldova has called the commission’s decision illegal and intends to challenge it in court.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!