Freedom of the Press - Moldova (2002)
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Publication Date | 22 April 2002 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, Freedom of the Press - Moldova (2002), 22 April 2002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4734507023.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Status: Partly Free
Legal Environment: 22
Political Influences: 20
Economic Pressures: 17
Total Score: 59
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 68
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: Moldovan/Romanian (65 percent), Ukrainian (14 percent), Russian (13 percent), other (8 percent)
Capital: Chisinau
The constitution prohibits insulting the state, and a calumny law forbids defaming senior government officials. Nearly 1,000 libel suits have been filed in the decade since Moldova became independent. In 2001, the constitutional court struck down a parliamentary amendment intended to limit the restriction on Russian-language broadcasts. Parliament approved an amendment to the press law banning financial support from foreign governments for Moldovan media. Official European observers criticized the nation's electoral code for denying "sufficient information" to voters to make "a fully informed choice." Privately held television stations and newspapers were accused of clear bias toward individual parties and candidates in the 2001 election, which returned communists to power. Moldova's Ministry of the Economy, Department of Privatization, Chamber of Trade and Industry, State Customs Office, and Journalists' Union opened the Center for Public Information in 2001. The Center is intended to provide information on social and economic issues to the press.