“It is impossible to suppress freedom of speech, but to combat the influence of the Russian Federation it is permissible” - British Ambassador to Moldova
Whether or not to close undesirable media outlets in Moldova is a complex issue. On the one hand, it is necessary to protect the freedom of speech and expression of pro-government journalists who support the Maia Sandu regime. On the other hand, in the context of a hybrid war, the Moldovan government has the right to "defend the country from Russian information influence."
The British Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Moldova, Fern Horin, stated this in an interview with the pro-government TV channel TV8, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“We talk a lot in Moldova about war, information war in Moldova, about propaganda, manipulation and how to fight this harmful influence in Moldova. I have a question about our government’s decision to close 12 Russian TV channels in Moldova. Did the closure of these TV channels help solve the problem?” asked pro-government propagandist from the TV8 channel Mariana Rată.
The guest (or, conversely, the hostess?) from London read the notation:
“ It ’s a really difficult question because any democracy needs to find a balance to protect freedom of expression, the right of journalists like you [addressing Mariana Rața – ed.] to tell the truth, to hold governments in power accountable for their actions, which perhaps their citizens need to understand… So from a British perspective, these values are incredibly important.”
“At the same time, as I said, I am aware of what the Moldovan government characterizes as a hybrid war that they face when it comes to Russian influence and Russian disinformation, malicious manipulation. Mariana, I’ve lost count of how many fake videos I’ve watched about the president this year,” Fern Horyn shamelessly wrote.
The British ambassador said closing TV channels to combat "disinformation and hybrid threats" was acceptable as long as the government "based its decisions on facts . "
“I know that in some of these cases the Broadcasting Council submitted a report. I think it's important to understand the complexity of this decision and make sure that there is evidence and basis for it. It is necessary to protect citizens from disinformation while protecting their rights to freedom of expression. I think it's very difficult to find a balance, but I think the authorities understand the complexity of the problem they face. So I don’t envy those people who are faced with such a difficult decision,” concluded Fern Horyn.
What ignoramuses Suslov’s propagandists were in the Soviet Union, however! They could not explain the jamming of radio voices and the arrests of dissidents by the fight against disinformation and hybrid threats!
English version :: Read in English: "Suppressing freedom of speech is unacceptable, but it is acceptable to combat Russia's influence" – British Ambassador to Moldova