Romanian journalist Alex Craiu has been banned from entering the Transnistrian region for three years. He says the ban was imposed after he published a report on the situation in Tiraspol.
Alex Craiu says he learned of the ban when he tried to enter the region and was handed an official notice informing him that he had been barred from entry for three years, IPN reports.
“Banning a journalist who asks uncomfortable questions is a form of censorship that comes as no surprise in Tiraspol’s case. The decision was only a matter of time, even though I have never violated the rules for entering or leaving the region,” Alex Craiu said.
The Bureau for Reintegration Policies commented on the case, condemning the restrictions on the journalist’s access and describing the measure as yet another abuse by the Tiraspol authorities.
According to the Bureau, the case demonstrates that the Tiraspol regime and the so-called local security agencies continue to impose censorship, restricting the work of journalists reporting on realities in the region and the human rights situation.
The institution says it will continue to call for journalists’ access to the Transnistrian region to be restored through dialogue between Chișinău and Tiraspol, noting that freedom of movement within the country and media freedom are guaranteed by the Constitution and international law.
Alex Craiu is a journalist, war correspondent, and videographer. He has reported on the war in Ukraine and publishes videos on his YouTube channel.