The chief of the Moldovan Security and Intelligence Service, Alexandru Musteata, has ordered denial of access to the websites of TASS and some other leading Russian news media, according to a statement from the service, TASS reports.
"The order, containing binding instructions, has been sent to providers of electronic communications networks and services with the aim to block the websites immediately," the statement said.
The ban will also affect the websites of Lenta.ru, Interfax, Moskovsky Komsomolets, Izvestia, Komsomolskaya Pravda, aif.ru, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Regnum and Riafan news agencies, Sputnik radio, along with some Moldovan websites. The list of news websites contains a total of 31 entries.
Earlier on Monday, Mustiata gave a news conference, where he announced the suspension of licenses of six Moldovan television channels. The channels are Orizont-TV, ICTV, Prime-TV, Publika-TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3. He said the channels violated broadcasting laws, posed a threat to the country's information security and represented an additional source of instability in proximity to Ukraine, NATO and the EU.
Last week, Moldova blocked access to more than 20 Russian news websites. They included the websites of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, Mir, NTV, Rossiya Segodnya, REN TV, Zvezda, Vesti, RTR-Planeta, TV Center, Tsargrad, Channel 5, Spas, 360° and several others.
At the end of February last year, Moldova introduced a state of emergency in connection with the events in Ukraine, imposing restrictions on TV programs from Russia, among other things. The country's Prosecutor General's Office announced investigations into some individuals on suspicion of inappropriately covering the events in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on October 26 that denial of access to Russian-language websites in Moldova would not go unanswered by Russia. She said the step is a sign of the "steady deterioration" of freedom of expression and access to information in Moldova through the efforts of the regime of Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
