OSCE REPRESENTATIVE ON MEDIA FREEDOM REGRETS DENIAL OF ENTRY TO RUSSIAN TV CREWS

Harlem Desir, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, has expressed regret that the film crews of two central Russian television channels were denied entry to Moldova on February 18 and 19. The journalists had to fly back home on the same day.

The OSCE Representative wrote on the Twitter today: "I again encourage [Moldovan] authorities to facilitate accreditation of foreign journalists and allow them to pursue their professional activities unimpeded in OSCE area".

On Wednesday, the Moldovan Border Police issued an official explanation on the new incident that happened in the Chisinau International Airport. According to the document, the reason was in the visitors' failure to meet requirements for crossing the Moldovan state border.

"We hereby confirm that the 5 citizens of the Russian Federation, who presented themselves as two crews of journalists, were denied entry to the Republic of Moldova due to their failure to meet the law-stipulated requirements for receiving permission for crossing the Moldovan state border. In both cases, the purposes of the visits were not substantiated. Moreover, the Moldovan Border Police was not informed about the actions the visitors had projected for the time of their staying in the Republic of Moldova territory", stated Border Police press secretary Raisa Novitcaia.

President Igor Dodon expressed an utter surprise about the Border Police assertions in the press that the Russian journalists were allegedly not able to confirm or explain the purpose of their coming to Chisinau.

"The Moscow film crews had official letters on hands from the Moldovan Presidential Administration saying that the TV journalists would be making an interview with the President of Moldova. Can there be anything inexplicable in this?" Dodon wondered during his live communication with citizens on the social networks on Tuesday night.