Raportul anual pe 2006 al organizatiei Reporteri fara Frontiere (RSF) precizeaza, in capitolul referitor la Romania, ca anul trecut a debutat destul de prost pentru libertatea de expresie, doi ziaristi fiind anchetati pentru un asa-zis CD secret iar un site internet, creat de doi jurnalisti de la ZIUA membri ai Civic Media, a fost inchis abuziv.
Conform raportului RSF, autoritatile romane au declansat ancheta in cazul a doi ziaristi, acuzati ca au dezvaluit materiale confidentiale legate de aparare.
Sebastian Oancea si Marian Garleanu au fost acuzati, la 20 februarie, de Ministerul Apararii, pentru “detinerea si divulgarea” unui CD continand imagini ale
armatei romane din Irak si Afganistan. Ancheta DIICOT continua si azi desi ziarele la care lucrau cei doi au decis sa nu publice imaginile si sa le trimita, la 7
februarie, Serviciului Roman de Informatii. “Cei doi ziaristi risca pana la sapte ani de nchisoare. Alti patru ziaristi – Bogdan Comaroni, Doru Dragomir, Victor
Roncea si Ovidiu Ohanesian au fost audiati ca martori in acest caz”, arata raportul RSF.
Reporteri fara Frontiere mai men]ioneaza cazul site-ului creat de doi
ziaristi de la cotidianul ZIUA, specialisti n politica externa, George Damian si Victor Roncea, care il parodia pe cel al MAE. Site-ul-pamflet www.mae.haos.ro,
inchis abuziv, a fost postat drept poza la www.mae-ro.org. Ministerul condus de Mihai Razvan Ungureanu a intervenit pe langa provider-ul de Internet CHL sa nu
mai gazduiasca site-ul si la presiunile MAE compania a furnizat si informatii despre cei doi ziaristi, incalcand legea privind protectia datelor personale.
Reporters without Borders
Romania. Area: 238,391 sq.km.
Population: 21,710,000.
Language: Romanian.
Head of state: Traian Basescu.
Romania – Annual report 2007
Two journalists were investigated for “disclosing legally confidential material†and a website making fun of the foreign ministry website was shut down. This was offset by the start of a wide-ranging reform of the criminal code.
2006 began badly with prosecution of two journalists for allegedly revealing legally confidential material. Sebastian Oancea and Marian Garleanu, of the dailies Ziua and Romania Libera, were accused by the defence ministry on 20 February of “possessing and disclosing†a CD of pictures of Romanian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, probably from an army source.
They were prosecuted even though the two papers decided not to print the pictures and on 7 February sent the photos to the national intelligence service. Garleanu was arrested on 16 February and held for two days. Both journalists face up to seven years in prison each. Four other journalists – Bogdan Comaroni, Doru Dragomir, Victor Roncea and Ovidiu Ohanesian – have been summoned to appear as witnesses in the case.
A website created by two foreign desk journalists on the daily paper Ziua parodying the foreign ministry website was shut down in June. The ministry asked the Internet service provider CHL to stop hosting the site and CHL agreed to, even though the ministry had no right to seek its closure. The provider also handed over information about the journalists, violating the law protecting personal data.
Encouraging progress was made in reforming the criminal code and parliament approved on 6 June the decriminalisation of defamation and insults, for which people can no longer be jailed. Justice minister Monica Macovei has begun a thorough reform of the code.
Nota ACM: Intre timp, dupa ce Romania a intrat in Uniunea Europeana, ministrul Monica Macovei si Curtea Constitutionala s-au razgandit: jurnalistii pot fi acuzati si condamnati penal pentru calomnie si insulta.