Center for Independent Journalism requests to sanction gendarmes' abuse against journalists during Friday protest

The Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) condemns, and at the same requests the Romanian Gendarmerie, as well as the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) to swiftly look into and sanction the abuse made by the gendarmes, who, on Friday night, attacked journalists while they were doing their job, according to a press release published Monday on CJI's website. 

"We request the law enforcement to act in good faith and with respect towards the right to free speech and the journalist profession, the role of which is to inform the public," reads the CJI press release. 

According to CJI, the gendarmes "physically and verbally abused journalists", during Friday night's protest in Victoriei Square, among them being Robert Mihailescu - Hotnews.ro, Ioana Moldovan - Documentaria.ro, Cristi Stefanescu - DW correspondent and Silviu Matei. 

Robert Mihailescu said that he was hit by a gendarme with a fist. "I was doing the live intervention of the gendarmes. The man in white grabbed me by the hand and snatched my phone. I shouted that I am a journalist and I raised my hands above my head, with the credentials that were around my neck. (...) One of the gendarmes hit me with his fist and pushed me towards the back of the line, while another gendarme kicked me in the back (...)," said Mihailescu, according to the CJI press release. 

In her turn, Ioana Moldovan declared that during Friday night's protest she had her press badge visible. "From a small group of gendarmes next to me, one of them approached me, and gave me a squirt of gas, from his gas tank, straight into my eyes, at a distance of a few centimeters," she said. 

Cristi Stefanescu, Deutsche Welle correspondent, said: "I stood for a few dozen of seconds on my knees, on the wet asphalt, waiting for my pain to go away, and when I opened my eyes, I saw in front of me several pairs of boots. (...) I got up and I showed them my journalist badge. One of them grabbed me by the shoulder, and another pinned my shoulder with the shield, they seemed confused as to whether to push me outside the square or to get me away from them." 

Silviu Matei said: Even we, from the press, started getting kicked, for no reason, other than being there and doing our job. One of them, with whom I got into an argument because I wanted to do a good deed, namely to pick up a TV tripod that had fallen on the ground, kicked me and wanted to hit me with his shield, as well as with the baton, although I was showing him my press badge at the same time." 

CJI also says that during Friday night there were several cases of injured journalists who were doing their job, documenting the protests and the gendarmes' intervention. 

"Press insignia - no matter in what form (notebook, card, badge, inscription vest) - are the only ways in which one can prove the rank of a journalist to anyone. Brandishing the press insignia is one of the first rules of any journalist who takes part, in a professional manner, to events, even more those with potential conflict. (...) It's so hard to understand and justify the gendarmes' aggressions against the journalists, some of them taking place in the reserved spot of the press," CJI underlines. 

The organization requests "the changing from the foundation" of the MAI's work procedure with the mass-media, so that the job of a journalist can be carried out freely. 

"We condemn, also, the aggressions of the gendarmes against citizens that were documenting with their own ways the unfolding of the events and remind that the role of the Gendarmerie, is, firstly, to protect citizens' safety, including those who protest," CJI says.