TV8 journalists detained in Transnistria: Media freedom concerns rise
TV8 journalists Viorica Tătaru and Andrei Captarenco were detained on Wednesday by unrecognised security forces from the left bank of the Dniester River while filming the protest organised by the separatist administration in Tiraspol.
The two were detained separately, interrogated for nearly three hours, and forced to delete the recorded footage.
Subsequently, they were escorted to the so-called "customs" to ensure they left the Transnistrian region. The Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases, in collaboration with the National Investigation Inspectorate, initiated a criminal case.
"We were separated and interrogated for almost three hours."
"Initially, we came here to monitor the protests that had been announced for some time by the so-called Transnistrian authorities. We tried to ask the people what their demands were, what requirements they came with, why they were protesting. Exactly the same questions we ask at a normal protest, but very quickly we were detained, taken to a so-called Ministry of Security, and interrogated for more than two hours," stated Viorica Tătaru.
"The discussions we had with the people, unfortunately, we don't have because we were asked to delete them, but essentially, it was an anti-Republic of Moldova protest and against the decision regarding the new customs rules that were introduced recently," said Andrei Captarenco.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
