A Moldovan television journalist and talk show host Mariana Rață received a death threat through a voice message from an individual identifying himself as a supporter oft he politician Renato Usatîi.
The threat on october 30 came shortly after an episode of her political talk show “Cutia Neagră” where Usatîi featured as a guest. In a post on social media, Rață explained that she frequently receives abusive messages following her broadcasts or investigations but decided to make this case public because the message explicitly threatened to kill her.
The sender says that she “should be stabbed in the street” for the questions she asked during the interview. The journalist announced that she will file a complaint with the police, noting that while she does not believe Usatîi himself was directly involved, the perpetrator must be held accountable for insults and threats.
There has been no comment from Mr. Usatîi, a populist and anti-establishment candidate, who has run for president of Moldova several times and was elected mayor of Balti twice.
She also underlined that “journalists often remain alone in the face of such attacks.” On 31 October, the Independent Journalism Center (Centrul pentru Jurnalism Independent – CJI) and several other Moldovan media organizations condemned the death threat and called on authorities to promptly identify and prosecute the perpetrator.
The organizations stressed that such acts constitute criminal offenses under Moldovan law and warned that the growing phenomenon of online harassment against independent journalists “creates a climate of hostility and undermines the public’s right to accurate information.”
Moldovan authorities should swiftly and effectively investigate the death threat against Mariana Rață, ensure her safety, and hold the perpetrator accountable, a statement from the Council of Europe said.
They should also publicly condemn any form of intimidation or harassment against journalists and take proactive measures to prevent online hate and threats targeting the media.
