Last days the authorities from Chisinau launched a new attack on the liberty of expression and the right to opinion. This time, their target is the well-known interactive show "Hyde Park" of "Antena C" radio station. The host of the show, Oleg Brega, declared live on March 18 that many radio listeners have been called and interrogated by Information and Security Service staff. These are blamed that during "Hyde Park" night show criticize the authorities The issue has been quickly taken by some right oriented independent newspapers that show newspaper fraternity when it comes to press freedom protection. "Timpul" publishes "ISS goes out hunting in "hyde Park", FLUX - "ISS sticks the fist into the mouth of "Hyde Park", "Jurnal" - "Hyde Park Scandal" discussed offices of ISS". Thus, it was discovered that the investigator of ISS, Vasile Skaletki, sent summons and interrogated some of the radio listeners that are more active during "Hyde Park" interactive show, among which Ion Smolenchin, Nina Marleanu, Valeriu Vidrascu and the painter Isai Carmu. Further, during their radio interventions at "Hyde Park" they confirmed that they have been interrogated namely by Vasile Skaletki. Ion Smoleanchin, known as "Ion from Durlesti" and Isai Carmu declared that they have been asked to give explanations regarding the statements made during "Hyde Park".

Vasile Skaletki denies the fact that he initiated this action at his bosses' orders although in some cases he admitted he started the interrogations following the orders of the general prosecutor, Vasile Rusu, who commanded him to talk to all those who slander Authority during "Hyde Park". The General Prosecution denies its implication.

Victor Stepaniuc, the leader of communist parliamentary group, stated that if the opinions launched during the radio show were the object of the interrogations, ISS actions seem to be illegal. "But if the radio listeners slander the authorities during radio shows, the authorities have the right to summon them, to try to punish them if possible" Stepaniuk declared.

FLUX writes that Voronin showed his dissatisfaction with the interrogations to which ISS staff resorted and called the director of this institution, Ion Ursu to ask for explanations. However, during the discussions with the chief of security, Vladimir Voronin criticized the Direction for supervision of constitutional order of ISS that does not react promptly to anti-state and anti-constitutional manifestations coming from radical and destructive elements.

The last Saturday in a live show on the national radio station, the Prime Minister Tarlev, answering the question of a listener mentioned that many participants of "Hyde Park" violate the Constitution and they must be punished. He declared, referring to Antena C, that it has "a reactionary position concerning the destruction of the Moldovan state". "The authorities will defend the rights of all cititens, namely of those who consider the Republic of Moldova an independent and sovereign state, with territorial integrity" Tarlev said.

Vitalie Nagacevschi, the president of the non-governmental organization "The Jurists for human rights" underlined that no one can be held responsible for expressing personal opinion in mass-media, Article 10 of the European Convention for human rights and Article 32 of the Constitution of RM guarantying the right to the freedom of expression. When invited to discuss live at "Hyde Park" the summon of radio listeners by secret services, Stefan Uratu, the president of Helsinki Committee of the Republic of Moldova mentioned that if ISS staff passed beyond the framework of the verification of the violations pointed out by listeners, these could be held responsible for suppressing the right to freedom of expression.

The show has not been forbidden for now and the radio listeners became more active during "Hyde Park". Although some newspapers wrote that ISS will also interrogate the host of the show, Oleg Brega has not received any summon yet. "If I am called in, I will go, but I will not accept the security staff to teach me what is journalist deontology" he declared.

Anyway, state authorities that represent the Communist Party will search for different reasons to forbid this radio show, which became a model of freedom of expression in a post totalitarian society. Our opinion is that in this case ISS actions are part of a undeclared strategy of high officials to strangulate the freedom of expression in the Republic of Moldova. The independent press is the only one that hinders the existing authorities to polish their image through lies, to restore the state mechanism through old soviet methods. Particularly in this sense, the structures of security service that have a good experience related to censorship, have been used in case of "Hyde Park".

On the other side, the same authorities, wanted to see again how the civil society reacts to certain interdictions, by launching the campaign of "fighting against slanderers from night shows at Antena C. Moreover, local elections are coming up and the existing governing party prepares its ground for a huge victory in order to strengthen its power not only "vertically" but also horizontally. The most strategic point of these elections will be Chisinau City Hall, which communists strive for many years and "Hyde Park" to which the citizens of Chisinau take part is like a pain in the neck because during the show the problems of our society are openly discussed. For as one of my colleagues mentioned "to talk openly about our society means to oppose the existing Authorities". That is why the Authorities are ready to resort even to its force services. It depends on how will civil society react in such cases.