ECHR To Decide If Romanian Television Can Be Broadcast In Moldova

The company made the decision since on July 10, 2008, the Moldovan High Court of Justice rejected the appeal against the two decisions made by the Moldovan Council for the Coordination of the Audiovisual (CCA), which illegally and abusively banned the retransmission of TVR1 programs on state frequency no. 2 for which the Romanian Television had a valid license until 2011.

 

According to the press release, one of the High Court judges said the rulings rendered by the Moldovan Chisinau High Court of Justice and the Moldova High Court of Justice (in the appeal) contradict Moldovan legislation as well as the European Convention of Human Rights.

 

The separate opinion stated by the judge is not an isolated occurrence, as on February 14, 2008, the Chisinau Court of Appeals too saw the company’s action as adequate. Therefore, this court allowed the Television’s request to suspend the decisions issued by the Council.

 

Thus the company regained the right to broadcast TVR1 programs. However, surprisingly enough, without new evidence, on February 18, 2008, the High Court of Justice allowed the appeal formulated by the Moldovan audiovisual watchdog and canceled the decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeals. Later, the Chisinau Court of Appeals rejected the company’s action, even though it initially had allowed the action, seeing it as legal and well founded.

 

The ECHR announced procedures have been unfolded for the examination of the company’s claims and asked the Moldovan Government to present written explanations regarding this case, until February 26, 2009. At the same time, the ECHR sent a letter to the Romanian Government, inviting it to support, as third party, the television company in this trial. The Romanian Government is thus asked to issue a stance on the matter.