Moldova: Viorica Tataru Detained by Transnistrian Secret Services
Journalist taken into custody while covering a protest
Location: Moldova, Tiraspol
Date: January 24, 2024
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom stands in solidarity with Viorica Tataru and her cameraman Andrei Captarenco, who were unjustly detained by Transnistria's secret services in the breakaway region of Moldova. The two-hour detention of the TV8 reporters and erasure of their footage while fulfilling their duty as journalists compound to egregious violations of press freedom. The actions taken by Transnistrian authorities against Tataru and Captarenco, reminiscent of previous incidents of harassment and detention, demonstrate a pattern of targeted aggression towards journalists, particularly those who dare to question and investigate the prevailing narratives. We, however, welcome the investigation by the Moldovan Prosecutor’s office’s investigation into the journalists’ detention and demand that reporters covering Transnistria are allowed to work freely without harassment.
On January 24, 2024, Moldovan journalists Viorica Tataru and Andrei Captarenco were detained by Transnistrian secret services while reporting on a protest in Tiraspol. The TV8 reporter was covering a demonstration organized by the separatist regime against new taxes on goods imported and exported through Moldova.
“I came here to monitor the protests that were announced for some time by the so-called Transnistrian authorities,” explained Tataru shortly after her release. “We tried to ask people what their grievances were, 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 security ministry and interrogated for more than two hours."
Tataru says before being escorted out of the territory by officers, the journalists were interrogated about why they were interviewing people at the protests. Tatura implied that the protests were fake, arranged by the authorities for propaganda purposes, and their footage proved this.
“Everything we managed to film up until the moment of detention they forced us to delete, we no longer have the conversations we had with people,”
"Everything we managed to film up until the moment of detention they forced us to delete, we no longer have the conversations we had with people. Many people did not know why they had come, nor could they explain the messages they had written on the placards," says the journalist.
The Moldovan government and local human rights NGOs vehemently condemned Tataru's detention, deeming it a severe violation of journalistic rights. Urgent measures were taken to involve the OSCE Mission in Moldova and other external partners, urging them to persuade Tiraspol to respect the rights and freedoms of media representatives and secure the release of Tataru.
Ion Manole, director of the Promo-LEX human rights organization, stressed the gravity of the situation, stating, "Detaining a journalist is an earnest attempt to affect the security of our citizens, first and foremost. Secondly, it is a severe problem regarding the exercise of the profession of journalist, regardless of the areas or territories where they work."
Manole also expressed concerns given the involvement of the Transnistrian secret services, which the authorities and intelligence services of Moldova say are led by Russian FSB officers.
“Detaining a journalist is an earnest attempt to affect the security of our citizens”
Transnistria, a self-proclaimed, unrecognized breakaway state of Moldova located at the country's border with Russia, declared independence in 1990, leading to a brief armed conflict. Although the fighting ceased in 1992, Transnistria remains outside international recognition, with a predominantly Russian-speaking population and leadership closely aligned with Moscow.
This is not the first instance of Tataru facing obstacles in reporting from Transnistria. In 2020, she and Captarenco were attacked while filming the buffer zone between Moldova and Russia. Russian "peacekeepers" harassed the journalists, seizing Tataru's phone to delete footage and detaining them.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom expresses deep concern over the detention of Viorica Tataru and Andrei Captarenco. The limited press freedom in the separatist region has created a restrictive environment, barring most external journalists from reporting there. These recent detentions not only signal a threat to the safety of journalists entering the area but also act as a deterrent, inhibiting reporters from venturing into Transnistria. The suppression of truthful and accurate information is particularly troubling, as the region's narratives are largely shaped by authority-approved propaganda influenced by Moscow. We condemn the actions of the Transnistrian secret services and urge authorities to fully cooperate with Moldova’s investigation into the journalists' detainment.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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