The Moldovan authorities have blocked a number of Russian media outlets including the news agencies TASS and Interfax, as well as six domestic TV stations.
According to Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), the latter, banned following its proposal, are Orizont TV, ITV, Prime, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3., with the new measures being approved by the Commission for Exceptional Situations, by supplementing the previous provision of December 16, 2022, with the aim of protecting the national information space.
It adds: “The service has information and evidence that the Russian Federation is influencing the local elections on November 5 and undermining the democratic process in the Republic of Moldova, including through disinformation campaigns carried out on these TV stations.
“Through a report presented to the Commission for Exceptional Situations, SIS demonstrated that these television stations are subordinate to the criminal groups ?or and Plahotniuc, which, through interposed persons, act in tandem to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova. The posts in question are financed through various shady schemes, based on partnerships with people included in international sanctions lists.
“The editorial policy of the targeted television stations is oriented towards launching disinformation campaigns to discredit the external political course of the Republic of Moldova and promote geopolitical narratives in favor of the Russian Federation”.
