Moldova: on the eve of two crucial votes, RSF calls for a clear legal framework to combat Russian disinformation

IThe referendum to join the EU is useless, accepting all the conditions imposed by the EU will threaten Moldovan sovereignty, and Russia is not a real military threat - the government is just using the war in Ukraine to frighten the public: two pro-Russian entrepreneurs in Moldova spent 136,000 euros in three months spreading these narratives in an attempt to influence two crucial upcoming votes, according to a studyby the Moldovan think tank WatchDog. One of these men, Ilan Shor - leader of an EU-opposition party and owner of a media outlet considered the main conduit of Russian influence in the country - is living in exile to escape a corruption conviction.

Moldova, which harbours a pro-Russian separatist territory and a large Russian-speaking population, has proved to be an ideal breeding ground for pro-Kremlin propaganda, especially since the Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. President Maia Sandu, running for re-election, has imposed multiple measures to prioritise the fight against Russian disinformation, coindicing with negotiations to join the EU that began in June.

Digital media outlets and TV channels banned

On 4 October, the Moldovan Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) ordered a ban on three Russian online platforms and the websites of MD24 - a local TV channel that broadcasts most of its content online and, according to SIS, is linked to Shor - due to their "high level of disinformation." On 25 September, SIS banned seven Russian propaganda websites, including the state news agency Ria Novosti, on charges of "risks to national security". What's more, the licences of five television channels broadcasting pro-Russian propaganda were revokedby the Council for Promoting Projects of National Importance on 30 May for "opaque financing" that obscured any proof of editorial independence.

Lack of safeguards

The Council for Promoting Projects of National Importance is chaired by the Prime Ministerand mainly composed of ministerial representatives. In order to combat disinformation, this council has the power to authorise or interrupt broadcasting without consulting legislative or judicial authorities. These unprecedented powers were inherited from the Commission for Exceptional Situations, which were enshrined in national law following the end of the state of emergency on 30 December 2023. The state of emergency was triggered by the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On 16 December 2022, the Commission for Exceptional Situations suspended the five television channels affiliated with Shor and his fellow pro-Kremlin entrepreneur Vladimir Plahotniuc - Primul în Moldova, Accent TV, Orizont TV, Canal 2, Canal 3 - as well as the channel RTR Moldova. Their suspension was renewed on 30 October 2023, on the grounds that they had concealed the existence of bank accounts linked to their funding. On the same day, 31 websites were blocked due to their links with the Kremlin, including the Russian state media outlets TASS, Rossiyskaya Gazetaand Sputnik Radio.

Media education

In parallel to this heavy-handed approach, Moldova has attempted to counter propaganda through media education. This is one of the goals of the Centre for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation, whose structure and budget were approved on 17 January following a parliamentary vote on 31 July 2023. The transitional arrangements of this promising new entity raise questions about its independence: President Maia Sandu only proposed a single candidate to parliament to lead the agency, former interior minister Ana Revenco, effectively imposing her appointment. When contacted by RSF, Revenco stressed the purely consultative nature of the Centre, whose monitoring, analysis, awareness-raising and training campaigns seek to "create a resilient information environment and reduce the impact of disinformation on Moldovan society."

In a reaction to the initial French version of this press release, Ana Revenco added that her mandate was to "set the institutional foundations," that parliament "is to have hearings on the candidate even for provisional directorship," and that "the Centre's activity is supervised by a board that includes members of civil society, which strengthens the guarantees for political independence." RSF has noted this clarification and will closely monitor the implementation of these transitional arrangements.

The Moldovan authorities' measures to combat Russian disinformation have a legitimate motive, but call for great vigilance against the risk of being disproportionate measures.

RSF's recommendations

RSF calls on the Moldovan government to adopt a programme to combat foreign interference in the information space, in line with its statements about commitment to democratic principles. To this end, RSF has made the following recommendations:

1. Oblige digital platforms to amplify reliable Moldovan sources of information, identified as such based on self-regulatory systems such as theJournalism Trust Initiative (JTI).
2. Establish a level playing field: all media outlets accessible in Moldova, including media from foreign countries - even Russia - should be subject to the same ethical obligations regardless of how they are broadcast.
3. Establish conditions of access to the Moldovan information space under the supervision of an independent regulatory authority. These conditions should be based on respect for freedom of expression, pluralism and the independence of media landscape in the third country concerned.