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Russian Foreign Ministry criticizes Chisinau for detaining Russian journalists

Such actions run counter to new Moldovan authorities’ assurances about their plans to develop constructive relations with Russia, Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson says

MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. Detention and deportation of Russian journalists who arrived to cover the latest developments in Chisinau runs counter to Moldovan authorities’ assurances about their plans to develop constructive relations with Russia, Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"Against the backdrop of unprecedented mass protests in Chisinau, Moldovan authorities’ restrictive actions toward representative of the Russian media draw attention. One might get an impression that someone does not want the objective coverage of the wave of national protest," Zakharova said.

"We note that such actions run counter to new Moldovan authorities’ assurances about their plans to develop constructive relations with Russia. They also contradict universally recognized rights for freedom of information," she stressed.

Mass protests started in Moldova’s capital Chisinau on Sunday. Among participants were representatives of the Civil Platform "Dignity and Truth" (DA) and supporters of the "Red Block" party. According to the country’s interior ministry, around 40,000 people took part in the meeting held by DA representatives near the government building. Around two hundreds of "Red Block" supporters tried to break into the prosecutor’s office, but their attempts were thwarted, and three people were detained. Party leaders dissociated themselves from these actions, saying they intend to reach their goals "peacefully and in a civilized way."

On September 7, RT Ruptly producer Alexey Amelyushkin was deported from Moldova, and his equipment was seized. On the same day, a camera crew from Russia’s LifeNews TV channel was detained at the Chisinau airport.