You're reading: Moldova condemns detention of Publika TV filming crew in Transdniestria

Moldovan authorities denounced the detention of journalists of Moldovan Publika television in the Security Zone on the Dniester bank by Transdniestrian structures, calling their actions provocative, the Moldovan government reintegration bureau said in a statement released on Sep. 2.

“Chisinau regards this event as another unfriendly act committed by Tiraspol seeking for the deliberate shaping of the conflicting atmosphere in the process of resolving the Transdniestrian problem and the deterioration of the situation in the Security Zone,” the statement said.

“Provocative actions taken by Transdniestrian structures” demonstrate that “the Tiraspol administration ignores the agreements on the freedom of movement by people between the two banks of the Dniester River, as well as permanent violation of human rights and freedom of speech in the region,” it reads.

A journalist and a cameraman of Publika television were detained on Sep. 1 in the village of Korzhovo on the left bank of the Dniester River. The film crew intended to record video footage of the festive events marking the start of the new academic year at a local grammar school.

“Although the journalists had accreditation from the United Controlling Committee, they were detained for committing several procedural actions. Only after the interference of the Moldovan delegation in the United Controlling Committee the correspondents were released from custody. But their work was disrupted, a live broadcast of the planned video report on the festive events did not take place after all and the journalists had to come back to Chisinau,” the statement said.

The reintegration bureau also expressed “bewilderment at the lack of a proper response by the United Military Command of the joint peacekeeping forces, which confirms once again serious flaws in the peacekeeping activity, the format and powers of which need to be conceptually revised.”

After the conflict in 1992 the Security Zone was created on the Dniester bank where the peacekeeping forces were deployed. Conflicts flare up sporadically in this zone, because Moldovan authorities and the administration of the unrecognized Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic also claim several settlements. The village of Korzhovo is one such settlement in the Security Zone. Moldova considers Korzhovo to be its territory and has its local administration there. Transdniestrian authorities regard Korzhovo as a neighborhood of Dubossary as in the Soviet times, which comes under the jurisdiction of the self-proclaimed republic.