Almost four years after Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, another iconic Byzantine temple in Constantinople will begin functioning as a mosque. This is the famous Hora Monastery, which has been a museum for seventy-nine years.
As reported by the pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper, Hora Monastery is expected to open its doors as a mosque for Friday prayers on February 23. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had made the decision for this back in 2020 along with the Hagia Sophia decision, but plans were “frozen” to allow some restoration work to be carried out.
The church in question, which is the most important temple in Istanbul after Hagia Sophia, was turned into a mosque by the Ottomans, and then, by order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, it became a museum.
In 2019, however, a decision was issued by the Turkish Supreme Court to convert it into a mosque. In 2020, it was decided that the jurisdiction of the monument would pass to the Directorate of Religious Affairs, in Turkish Diyanet.
According to Turkish media, “the historic mosque, furnished with custom-made red carpets, is expected to open for worship on Friday, February 23.” It also reported that “the mosaics and frescoes have been preserved during the restoration and will be accessible to visitors.”
Hora Monastery is located in the northwestern part of the historical center of Istanbul.
It owes its name to its location – outside the fortress walls of the imp. Constantine the Great. “Horion” or “Hora” the Byzantines called the land outside the fortress walls. When imp. Theodosius II built the new walls of Constantinople, the monastery retained the traditional name “in Hora”, although it was no longer outside the walls. The monastery is known for its valuable mosaics – among the most famous is the mosaic with one of the founders of the temple, Theodore Metochite, presenting the new temple to Christ. The church had two vestibules which were decorated with mosaics and frescoes. The mosaics of the exonarthex (outer porch) are six semicircles depicting Christ healing various diseases. Numerous icons also decorate the domes and walls. The icons are among the most beautiful Byzantine icons. The colors are bright, the proportions of the limbs are harmonious, and the expressions of the faces are natural.
The early history of the monastery is not known with certainty. Tradition places its foundation in the 6th century by St. Theodore, and it is also attributed to Crispus, son-in-law of the imp. Phocas (7th century). Today it is proven that the church was built between 1077-1081, during the time of Imp. Alexius I Comnenus, on the site of older buildings from the 6th and 9th centuries. It suffered serious damage, probably due to an earthquake, and was repaired in 1120 by Isaac Comnenus. Theodore Metochites, Byzantine statesman, theologian, patron of the arts, contributed to its renovation (1316-1321) and was responsible for the addition of the exonarthex, the southern chapel and the decoration of the temple, which includes remarkable mosaics and frescoes that have survived to this day. In addition, he bequeathed considerable property to the monastery, at the same time building a hospital and donating to it his remarkable collection of books, which later attracted famous scholars to this center. The monastery was converted into a mosque by order of the Grand Vizier of Sultan Bayazid II (1481-1512) and became known in Turkish as the Kahriye Mosque. A significant part of the temple’s decoration was destroyed. In 1948, a restoration program was carried out, and from 1958 the monument functions as a museum.
The Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine decided to remove from the church calendar the day of the memory of the holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, according to the website of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
“On February 2, 2024, the regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) took place in the Synodal Hall of the Metropolitan House – residence of the Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Mikhailovsky Golden Dome Monastery in Kyiv. The meeting was attended by all members of the Synod”, it is stated on the website of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
On the proposal of the Synodal Calendar Commission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, it was decided: “To remove from the church calendar of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine the day of memory of the Holy Prince Alexander of Novgorod (Nevsky), in the scheme (in monasticism) Alexy, November 23. To established November 23 as an additional day to commemorate the venerable Alexander (c. 430), and to include it in the church calendar of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
At the end of February 2022, after Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the Moldovan parliament introduced a state of emergency for a period of 60 days. During this period, broadcasting television programs from Russia was limited in the country. In addition, access to the news websites Sputnik Moldova, Eurasia Daily (https://eadaily.com/ru/) and a number of other resources was blocked. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the country announced the launch of an investigation against a number of persons “on suspicion of biased coverage of events happening in Ukraine”.
By Dr Evgeniya Gidulianova with Willy Fautré (See Part IHERE)
On 2 June 2022, the Moldovan parliament adopted a package of legislative amendments related to the country’s information security. The Code on Audiovisual Media Services was amended to prohibit the retransmission of news, television and radio programs with informational and analytical, military and political content, as well as military films from countries that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, which was the case of Russia.
The law introduced the concept of disinformation and provided strict measures in case of breach, such as the deprivation of the broadcasting/airing license for a period of up to seven years.
On 16 December 2022, the licenses of six channels linked to Ilan Shor were suspended for repeatedly violating the law. Among them “Primul in Moldova”, “RTR-Moldova”, “Accent-TV”, “NTV-Moldova”, “TV-6”, “Orhei-TV”.
The president of the Broadcasting Council, Liliana Vițu, said to Eurasia Daily that this decision of the Commission for Emergency Situations was based on the monitoring reports of the Council members and independent media experts. These channels were sanctioned for repeatedly broadcasting biased information about national events and propaganda about the war of aggression against Ukraine: NTV Moldova (22 sanctions), Primul in Moldova (17 sanctions), RTR Moldova (14 sanctions), Orhei TV (13 sanctions), TV6 (13 sanctions), Accent TV (5 sanctions).
Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița stated on her Facebook page: “These media outlets have seriously and repeatedly violated the Code on Audiovisual Services, biased and manipulative reporting on the events in Moldova, as well as those related to the war in Ukraine.“
Minister of Justice Sergiu Litvinenco stated on Facebook, that the issue of suspending the license of the six channels needs to be very clear: “Freedom of speech is one thing, but propaganda is another. Now it is not just propaganda, as it was before, when the European Court of Human Rights also ruled in favor of the authorities. This is blatant propaganda to justify a war of aggression, spreading aggressive language, inciting ethnic hatred, and endangering state security. The main function of the state is to protect the security of citizens and the constitutional order.“
The role of Moscow and wanted pro-Russian oligarch Ilhan Shor
MP Radu Marian (Party of Action and Solidarity) said that the six TV channels sanctioned by the Commission for Emergency Situations are linked to the Moldovan pro-Russian fugitiveoligarch Ilan Shor accused in Moldova of embezzling nearly €1 billion from Moldovan banks. Shor is funding a pro-Russian populist party in Moldova called ȘOR which has an anti-EU membership agenda.
Sputnik Moldova-România | Chisinau
On his Facebook page, MP Radu Marian stated “it is at least ridiculous that those who are now shouting about the violation of ‘freedom of speech’ do not have a problem with the murder of Russian opposition journalists, nor with the invasion of an independent country, nor with the arrest of protesters across Russia who simply go out into the streets with a white sheet of paper. Our pro-Kremlin propagandists say nothing about it, and often justify such barbaric actions. Keeping silent about the terrible events in Ukraine is not ‘freedom of speech.’ This is part of the disinformation.”
Valeriu Pașa, the head of the Watchdog.MD Community, wrote on his Facebook page: “Do these TV channels pose a threat to the security of the Republic of Moldova? Of course! Why? Because they are controlled directly or through intermediaries (such as Shor or nominal RTR holders) by the Russian Federation. Moscow has been subsidizing and financing these TV channels for years… offering at a ridiculous price the right to rebroadcast expensive contents financed from the Russian state budget and from advertising budgets pumped into the Russian press by state-owned companies such as Gazprom and many others. This is not a new story, it has been going on since 1993.”
The heads of the TV channels “Primul in Moldova”, “RTR-Moldova”, “Accent-TV”, “NTV-Moldova”, “TV-6”, “Orhei-TV” appealed against the actions of the authorities in court.
Head of Sputnik expelled from Moldova
On 13 September 2023, the Moldovan authorities deported Vitaly Denisov, the head of Sputnik Moldova under EU and Moldovan sanctions. He was also issued a 10-year ban on entry into the country. The General Inspectorate for Migration of the Republic reported that Denisov was recognized as an undesirable person in Moldova because of “activities that threaten national security.” Later, the Moldovan service of Radio Svoboda found out that Denisov has a very loose relationship with journalism and is presumably a career officer of the 72nd Special Service Center (military unit 54777). This unit is known to be engaged in information injections and disinformation to foreign audiences.
Moscow threatens
On 3 October 2023, Moldova’s ambassador to Russia, Lilian Darii, was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister accused Moldova of “politically motivated persecution of Russian-language media outlets,” citing the expulsion of the head of the Sputnik Moldova news agency, Vitaly Denisov, on the grounds of being associated with the military intelligence of the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation closed entry for a number of persons directly related to the restriction of freedom of speech and the rights of Russian journalists in Moldova, as well as the incitement of anti-Russian sentiments.
On 24 October 2023, Russian Press Agency TASS reported that the Information and Security Service of Moldova blocked access to more than 20 Internet resources of Russian media outlets. A number of them are on the list of EU sanctions.
On 30 October 2023, the director of the Information and Security Service of Moldova, Alexandru Musteața, signed an Orderblocking access for users in Moldova to 31 sites.
Sputnik Moldova
On the same day, the Commission for Emergency Situations decided to suspend the licenses of 6 TV channels “promoting foreign interests”: the TV channels Orizont TV, ITV, Prime, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal3.
Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Recean commented on his Facebook page “Moldova is subjected to hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation on a daily basis. In recent weeks, the intensity of such threats has increased. Russia, through organized crime groups, wants to influence local elections and undermine the democratic process. (…). These TV channels are subordinate to the criminal groups of Plahotniuc and Shor, who have joined their efforts aimed at destabilizing the situation in Moldova.”
In retaliation, Moscow announced to the Moldovan ambassador a ban on entry into the Russian Federation “for a number of officials of the Republic of Moldova”.
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that in its World Press Index including 180 countries, Reporters Without Borders ranked Moldova in the following positions in the last three years: 89 in 2021, 40 in 2022 and 28 in 2023. In addition, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee for the Protection of Journalists considered in their last reports that freedom of the media in Moldova is not a relevant issue and does not deserve to be specifically covered.
AboutEvgeniya Gidulianova
Evgeniya Gidulianova holds a Ph.D. in Law and was Associate Professor at the Department of Criminal Procedure of Odesa Law Academy between 2006 and 2021.
She is now a lawyer in private practice and a consultant for the Brussels-based NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers.
(*) Ilan Shoris an Israel-born Moldovan oligarch and politician. In 2014, Shor “masterminded” a scam that saw US$1 billion disappear from Moldovan banks, resulting in a total loss equivalent to 12% of Moldova’s GDP and the arrest of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat.In June 2017, he was sentenced to 7.5 years of prison in absentia for fraudand money launderingand on 14 April 2023 his sentence was increased to 15 years. All of Shor’s Moldovan assets were also frozen.After spending time under house arrest he fled to Israelin 2019, where he currently lives.
On 26 October 2022, the United States sanctioned him due to his working with “corrupt oligarchs and Moscow-based entities to create political unrest in Moldova”.The UK and the EU also sanctioned Shor. His pro-Russian party,the ȘOR Party, was banned by the Constitutional Court of Moldova on 19 June 2023 after months of protests organized by his party. According to the court, these protests were designed to destabilize Moldova and foment a coup in order to install a pro-Russian government.
In the early hours of February 6, 2023, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the border region between the two countries, claiming over 50,000 lives in Türkiye and a further 5,900 in Syria, with thousands more injured.
“Thousands of families have yet to heal from the impact of the devastation. Survivors live with the loss and trauma of those frightful days,” Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.
“Today, our thoughts are again with the survivors and those who lost loved ones. And for those who still need humanitarian assistance, our pledge remains to do all we can to continue to help,” he added.
The disaster compounded an already dire humanitarian crisis in Syria, where some 16.7 million people will need assistance in 2024. There are a further 1.75 million Syrian refugees in earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye.
In both countries, entire communities were razed to the ground and thousands of buildings – including schools, hospitals, mosques and churches – were destroyed or severely damaged.
The consequences of the catastrophe will last many years to come with a lot of people still in temporary shelters, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned.
The health agency’s spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said that in in Türkiye, the earthquake created new and urgent health needs for both refugee and host populations.
“The disaster disrupted access to health services, including maternal and newborn healthcare, vaccination, non-communicable disease management, mental health support, disability and rehabilitation services,” he told reporters at a press briefing at the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG).
In Syria, the earthquake hit communities that had already been deeply affected during the 13-year-long conflict-driven crisis, characterized by repeated displacement leading to food insecurity, disease outbreaks and a severely weakened health system, he added.
WHO and health partners continue to deliver health services for maternal and child health, prevention of cholera and other outbreaks, physical rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial support.
The support of the international community is crucial for the WHO and partners to continue delivering much needed health services in Syria, Mr. Jasarevic added.
Türkiye Earthquake – one year later
Refugees need longer-term solutions
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has been delivering protection assistance – including psychosocial support, shelter, cash assistance and other aid to affected people in Syria.
In Türkiye, in support of the Government-led response, the agency provided over three million relief items, including tents, containers, hygiene kits, bedding and warm clothing for refugees and local residents in temporary accommodation centres.
While UNHCR appreciates the timely and generous aid offered by donors, it appeals for continued support to ensure critical humanitarian needs can be met, spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said at the UNOG press briefing.
“To facilitate better responsibility sharing with Türkiye, [we are] also calling for an expansion of resettlement opportunities for refugees, some of the most vulnerable of whom require longer-term solutions and a fresh start elsewhere,” she added.
For the past few days, the Israeli Prime Minister has been focusing his criticism on Qatar, not knowing where to turn and, above all, in the face of a flood of worldwide criticism of his hard-line strategy in Gaza and the way out of the war. He even recently accused Doha of being indirectly responsible for 7 October. While Qatar has been manoeuvring to negotiate with the Islamist organisation for the past three months, it is also endangering the hostages, many of whom are still being held in Gaza.
Quite surprising to now accuse Qatar of bearing the burden of what is happening, even though Netanyahu acknowledged in 2019 that it was important to support Hamas in order to continue to weaken the Palestinian Authority and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. Bibi’s policy has always been to deal with the Islamist organisation to the detriment of Abbas’s Palestinian Authority. The division of power between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip was the perfect tool to condemn the formation of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu’s absurd attack on Doha when we know that the Hebrew state helped support Sheikh Yassin, its founder, in 1988, always with the aim of dividing the Palestinians as much as possible. Despite its anti-Jewish doctrine, Israel has supported the development of the most radical branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and has played with fire. Just as the Americans supported the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets, the Hebrew state thought it could use a few bearded men to weaken Yasser Arafat’s Fatah for good. Charles Enderlin, former France 2 correspondent in Israel, has published a number of articles and books explaining the complacency of the Israeli right towards Hamas, the emergence of which would certainly doom a future state for the Palestinians once again.
Finally, it’s absurd when you consider that Qatar has been harbouring Hamas leaders at the request of the Americans (and Israelis) so that it can negotiate the day they are needed. And since 7 October, alas, that day has arrived in an attempt to save the lives of almost 140 Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Today, however, the powerless international community is trying to bring about a ceasefire and a halt to bombing in Gaza after the deaths of nearly 25,000 Gazans, mostly women and children, since mid-October.
If no lasting political solution emerges from the military response to Israel’s worst attack in decades, following the deaths of nearly 1,400 people in Israel in 48 hours, then once again a temporary solution will be adopted that will have to last, to prevent the Israelis and Palestinians of Gaza from killing each other to the last man. And in any case, it is unlikely to be the creation of the Palestinian state that the Israeli government still does not want. Even less so today, even if it would perhaps be the first guarantor of the security of the Jewish state.
Who can help put an end to the noise of weapons and get diplomacy back on track in the Middle East? The United States and Europe are still trying, with the support of Egypt and Qatar, which Netanyahu is suddenly criticising in order to absolve himself of his major responsibility. In a general geopolitical context in which the major Western powers are increasingly marginalised as peacemakers, as are the major international organisations that are supposed to ensure respect for international law, it is above all the regional powers that for several years have been regaining control of their zone of influence or putting forward their talent as peace mediators to have a say in the concert of nations in crisis or at war. As far as the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is concerned, the United States, which for years has been disengaging from Middle Eastern conflict zones, can do little, especially as Joe Biden’s term of office, which is irrevocably drawing to a close, further weakens his capacity for influence and action, if his administration has had any over the last three years. The European Union, mired in the Ukrainian crisis, has long since lost its diplomatic capacity and remains forever a political dwarf in the cacophonous symphony of world powers. That leaves Egypt and Qatar above all. Traditionally, Egypt, which has been at peace with Israel since 1977 and the Camp David Accords, has always managed in recent years, since the arrival of President Sissi, to negotiate a pause in hostilities between Israel and Gaza. Cairo’s relations with the Hamas movement are cordial and enable it to reconcile its points of view with Tel Aviv on each occasion.
The player that can probably make the most of the situation, and in the continuity of what it has been doing for years, from the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan, is Qatar, which has had a relationship with Israel for a long time, something that Netanyahu forgets. Qatar’s proximity to these Islamist movements, such as the Taliban at the time of the negotiations with the Americans in 2018, is a key asset for Doha. It dates back precisely to the time when Washington asked the Emirate to keep an eye on its leaders. With the American base at Al Oudeid, the largest American off-ground base in the world, Doha saw its capacity to one day monetise this “service rendered” for its credibility and its de facto proximity to the enemies of many, and to see itself emerge as a key regional peace mediator.
Currently, if a driver loses their licence following a traffic offence in a different EU country to the one which issued their licence, in most cases the sanction will only be applicable in the country where the offence was committed, and entail no restrictions in the rest of the EU.
To ensure that suspension, restriction or withdrawal of a non-resident’s driving licence is applied across all EU countries, the new rules demand that this decision is passed on to the EU country which issued the driving licence.
Dangerous offences
MEPs suggest to add driving without a valid licence to the list of severe traffic offences, such as drink driving or fatal traffic accident, which would trigger the exchange of information on driving disqualification. Driving 50 km/h faster than the speed limit is also one of the severe traffic offences that could result in driving disqualification. MEPs set a lower speed limit for residential areas, meaning that driving above the speed limit by 30 km/h on those roads could result in a driver losing their licence or having it suspended.
Timelines
Parliament suggests to put a deadline of ten working days for EU countries to inform each other about decisions on driver disqualification and another deadline of 15 working days to decide if a driving disqualification will apply throughout the EU. The driver concerned should be informed of a final decision within seven working days, MEPs add.
Quote
EP rapporteur Petar Vitanov (S&D, BG) said: “I am positive this directive will not only help reduce road accidents, but it will also contribute to better awareness among citizens about more responsible driving and a willingness to follow the rules and accept the consequences of breaking them, no matter where in the EU we drive.”
Next steps
The draft rules on European Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications were adopted by 372 votes to 220 and 43 abstentions. Parliament has now closed its first reading and as the Council has not yet adopted its position, the new Parliament to be elected in June 2024 will continue the work on this law.
Background
The driving disqualification rules are part of the Road safety package presented by the Commission in March 2023. It also contains cross-border exchange of information on traffic offences rules which are currently in negotiations with Council. The package aims to improve safety for all road users and to move as close as possible to zero fatalities in EU road transport by 2050 (“Vision Zero“).
“Determination, unity and leadership” is the message, European Council President Charles Michel said, sent by the EU with its latest decisions on Ukraine to open accession talks and endorse a new financial aid package for the country. The EU will “not be intimidated by Russia”, and will support Ukraine for “as long as necessary”, he added. Michel repeated the EU’s promise to provide the country with more ammunition and said “each euro mobilised for Ukraine is an investment in our own security, prosperity and stability”.
On the Middle East, President Michel said the EU must do its utmost to prevent a regional escalation of the conflict, address the humanitarian emergency and continue advocating for the two-state solution. Restating that respect for international law is in the EU’s DNA, he strongly rejected applying “double standards” when assessing this conflict. Michel expressed understanding about the discontent and complaints of Europe’s farmers and urged dialogue to be able to offer them a convincing response.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine provides strong predictability for the country over the coming four years. “This is what it means to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.” On the first ever revision of the EU’s long-term budget, she stressed the EU now has the financial resources to tackle some of the challenges it faces in this decade.
Referring to the farmers’ protests, President von der Leyen said “our EU food production system is unique and our farmers produce the highest quality food in the world, and they must be paid fairly”. She announced that the Commission will withdraw its proposal on pesticides reduction and that by late summer a report based on the outcomes of the strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU will present options for possible future reforms.
MEPs representing a majority in Parliament reiterated that Ukraine’s defence is Europe’s defence. They expressed their unwavering support for the country and noted that the delivery of weapons and ammunition must accelerate. Some MEPs raised the idea of using frozen Russian assets and the worrying political developments in the USA, while others raised the alarm about the threat of the war spreading beyond Ukraine and warned that the ongoing arms race is not sustainable.
On the recent farmer demonstrations, most speakers said a new approach is needed for the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and any upcoming legislation for the green transition, and highlighted the dual policy goal of ensuring livelihoods for farmers and securing the EU’s food production. Most MEPs raised the need to find solutions to address these issues simultaneously, with many warning against populist voices seeking to politicise this complex problem. Some called for more direct financial support for farmers or for restrictions on the import of agricultural products.
Police in India have released a pigeon that was held for eight months on suspicion of spying for China, Sky News reported.
Police suspect the pigeon, which was seized near the Mumbai port in May last year, was involved in espionage as it had two rings on its feet with writing that “looked Chinese”.
Police released the pigeon this week and released it back into the wild, Indian media reported.
The pigeon spent eight months in captivity at an animal hospital in Mumbai before it was found that the bird had flown to India from Taiwan.
Pigeons have been used for spying throughout history, and British forces in World War I and World War II used these birds to carry messages.
Police in India have detained pigeons before.
In 2020, a Pakistani fisherman’s pigeon was caught in Kashmir, and investigation revealed that the bird was not intended for espionage, but simply flew across the border between the two countries.
In 2016, Indian police detained another pigeon after it was allegedly found with a note threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-white-flying-bird-on-blue-sky-36715/
EU-MOLDOVA – The founder and head of a media outlet under EU sanctions and Moldovan sanctions for pro-Russian propaganda and disinformation creates “Stop Media Ban” and campaigns against Moldova in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and in Brussels.
By Dr Evgeniia Gidulianova with Willy Fautré
On 10 January, the ECR political group (European Conservatives and Reformists) at the European Parliament organized a conference in Brussels about Press Freedom at the European international level, in which “Stop Media Ban” in Moldova was represented by its president, Ludmila Belcencova. Her message was that Moldova, which is a candidate to the European Union, unduly represses media freedom.
According to the information of the publication “BLOKNOT Moldova” Ludmila Belcencova was born on July 5, 1972, in the city of Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi region of Ukraine. She studied to be a history teacher. For many years, she worked as a TV presenter on the NIT channel, which was called the mouthpiece of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM). She was a member of the party and as such, an elected member of the Moldovan Parliament.
The “Aquarelle magazine,” in its column “Club of Career Women,” indicates that Belcencova began her work on television back in 1997. At first, she worked as a reporter in a news program on the NIT channel. Afterwards, she became the editor of the journalistic program MAXIMA on NIT before becoming later its creator and presenter. In 2004, she worked for some time at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Russia(*).
According to the media outlet KP in Moldova, (Komsomolskaya Pravda), Belcencova made a career in political journalism, mainly promoting the point of view of the extreme-left wing of the Communist Party. In 2009, she was on the list of the Communist Party for the elections and later became a Member of the Moldovan Parliament as a Communist. However, soon after receiving her mandate, she left the extreme-left faction of the Party of Communists (PCRM), together with a group of MPs, and joined the Moldovan Unită Party. She became the spokesperson of this party, but later withdrew from political life and went back to journalism.
On 16 December 2022, Moldova imposed sanctions and suspended the license of the “Primul în Moldova” channel, which was in fact the Romanian-Moldovan version of the Russian Pervyi Kanal. Belcencova was then its General Producer. Pervyi Kanal (Primul in Moldova) also fell under the EU sanctions(**).
On 31 May 2023, Belcencova created and headed the “Stop Media Ban” platform, specifically targeting Moldova.
Ludmila Belcencova was General Producer of the “Primul in Moldova TV” channel (alias Pervyi Kanal) – Pervyi Kanal/ Primul in Moldova under EU and Moldovan sanctions. Currently President of STOP MEDIA BAN. Photo at “Freedom of Press Conference” in Brussels.
In short, Ludmila Belcencova’s ideological and political agenda is in line with the extremist left wing of the Communist Party of Moldova (PCRM), which has become an insignificant party and tool in Moldova in the last few years, and jumps from the political arena to the media arena to push forward ‘her’ agenda. During the Q & A of the conference organized by the ECR political group of the European Parliament, she failed twice to answer questions asked by the director of Human Rights Without Frontiers: “What is the name of your banned media and is the reason of the ban your alleged support to Putin’s views”? In her answer, she purposefully failed twice to give the name of her media (!) and to confirm or deny having expressed alleged pro-Russian views (!)
She now heads the “Stop Media Ban” platform, another at first sight sympathetic arena, through which she can move forward a political agenda hostile to Moldova.
When you google her name written with the Latin alphabet, there is no information about her but it is not at all the case with her name in Russian: Людмила Бельченкова.
On her Facebook page in Russian, she posted her photo with her accreditation badge for the European Parliament on the name of the NGO “Stop Media Ban” (SMB) that she had got on 8 January, two days before the conference.
What is “Stop Media Ban in Moldova”?
On 31 May 2023, Liudmila Belcencova, General Producer of the “Primul in Moldova TV” channel (alias Pervyi Kanal), under Moldovan and EU sanctions, held a press conference at the news agency IPN and announced for the first time the creation of the platform «Stop Media Ban». The purpose of this initiative was said to protect the rights of all journalists in Moldova. “Stop Media Ban” positions itself as a non-governmental and non-profit organization dedicated to the struggle for freedom of the press and calling for an end to the ban on a number of media outlets in Moldova, throughout Europe and beyond.
On 5 October 2023, journalists from “Stop Media Ban” called on the European Parliament in Strasbourg, to vote to support Moldova’s accession to the European Union. However, they pointed out that it is essential to ensure that the Government of the Republic of Moldova implements the necessary reforms for accession to the European Union. Liudmila Belcencova, president and spokesperson of “Stop Media Ban”, said:
“Achieving the goal requires a determined effort. The European Union was founded on democratic ideals. Moldova will become an EU member state when its government shares European values and respects all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those that are now at high risk. For example, freedom of the press, there can be no interference in the work of journalists or censorship, such as banning independent media or spreading disinformation.”
“The European Parliament should take steps to comply with European rules on media freedom in Moldova as a candidate country. This action will ensure the missing media pluralism in the country and protect the independence of the media from state, political or economic influence,” Belcencova concluded. Having the ban on Pervyi Kanal(Primul in Moldova) lifted is obviously her priority objective.
The “Stop Media Ban” website publishes a universal call for signatures on its homepage Petition against the ban by the Moldovan government on certain media outlets issued a week before the local elections in the country. The basis for the petition was the order of 30 October 2023, by which the Commission for Exceptional Situations of Moldova closed six private channels and 31 online media platforms. Prior to that, in December 2022, six more TV channels were closed on charges of spreading disinformation and undermining the country’s security.
In its World Press Index including 180 countries, Reporters Without Borders, ranked Moldova in the following positions in the last three years: 89 in 2021, 40 in 2022 and 28 in 2023. Quite a positive trajectory.
EU sanctions
It must be recalled that quite a number of the channels sanctioned in Moldova were also included by the European Union in the 10th and 11th sanctions packages as state-owned and pro-Kremlin disinformation media, playing an important and decisive role in supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The EU has pointed out that they pose a serious threat to public order and the security of the EU and are used for disinformation and manipulation of information. Therefore, the EU decided to suspend their broadcasting and distribution, as well as to suspend their licenses.
EU: Vigilance is needed
On the eve of the European election, the European Parliament suspects a number of MEPs and staff in its ranks to be pro-Russia ‘influencers’. MEPs and political groups should be vigilant and well-advised to also look at promoters in Brussels of an anti-EU agenda concerning Moldova.
Strangely enough, on 20 December last, another personality from Moldova/Gagauzia, Yevgenia Gutsul, came to Brussels for holding a press conference at the Press Club in Brussels. On this occasion, she gave a very negative picture of the rule of law in Moldova. In EU Today, she was quoted as saying:
“In a 2014 referendum a total of 96 percent of those who voted said that if Moldova chose the path towards membership of the EU and then loses its independence, then Gagauzia reserves its right to its independence.”
AboutIevgeniia Gidulianova
Ievgeniia Gidulianova holds a Ph.D. in Law and was Associate Professor at the Department of Criminal Procedure of Odesa Law Academy between 2006 and 2021.
She is now a lawyer in private practice and a consultant for the Brussels-based NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers.
Footnotes
(*) At that time, the country was ruled by the Party of Communists which had won 50.07% of the votes and gained 71 of the 101 MPs in the 2001 parliamentary elections. They elected Vladimir Voronin as their president who remained in power until 2009. Moldova was then the first post-Soviet state where a Communist Party returned to power. From 2010 on, the party started its descent into hell and was not represented any more in the parliament in 2019. In 2021, they came back through the back door in an alliance with the Party of Socialists which gained 10% of the seats in the parliament.
(**) EU Sanctions Against Russia Explained: To counteract Russian propaganda, the EU has suspended the broadcasting activities and licenses of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets:
Sputnik and subsidiaries including Sputnik Arabic
Russia Today and subsidiaries including Russia Today English, Russia Today UK, Russia Today Germany, Russia Today France, Russia Today Spanish, Russia Today Arabic
Rossiya RTR / RTR Planeta
Rossiya 24 / Russia 24
Rossiya 1
TV Centre International
NTV/NTV Mir
REN TV
Pervyi Kanal
Oriental Review
Tsargrad TV Channel
New Eastern Outlook
Katehon
Spas TV Channel
Russia uses all of these outlets to intentionally spread propaganda and conduct disinformation campaigns, including about its military aggression against Ukraine.
They cover all means of transmission and distribution in or directed at EU member states, including cable, satellite, Internet Protocol TV, platforms, websites and apps.
In line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, these measures will not prevent those media outlets and their staff from carrying out activities in the EU that do not involve broadcasting, e.g. research and interviews.
Patients in Bulgarian psychiatric hospitals are provided with nothing even approaching modern psychosocial treatments
Continued abuse and tying of patients, lack of therapy, understaffing. This is what a delegation of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) of the Council of Europe saw during their visit to state psychiatry centers in Bulgaria in March 2023, reports Free Europe – the service for Bulgaria of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Their observations were set out in a critical report, noting that the country “once again demonstrates the continuing serious failure of the Department of Health to prevent and eradicate such unacceptable behaviour”.
The news comes against the background of a case from the end of last year, when a patient of the psychiatry in Lovech died in a fire while being tied up for punishment. The case provoked a swift investigation by the ombudsman, which found numerous violations that led to the fatal outcome.
The National Assembly established a temporary commission to collect and analyze data on violations in psychiatry and to propose legislative solutions.
The Torture Committee has seen some progress in welfare institutions and hopes that actual deinstitutionalization will continue.
His report was published together with the response of the Bulgarian authorities. It does not differ significantly from the reports published after observations in Bulgarian psychiatry in recent years.
“Patients are hit and kicked”
The delegation visited the state psychiatric hospital “Tserova Koria”, the social care homes for persons with mental retardation in Draganovo and Tri Kladentsi, and the state psychiatric hospital in Byala.
She has received a number of claims from patients at both hospitals that, in addition to being shouted at by staff, orderlies also punch and kick patients, including in the groin.
It is common practice for patients to be tied, isolated, mechanically and chemically restrained.
As for the material conditions, the CPT sees overcrowded rooms and a “carceral” environment – with bars on the windows and a lack of decoration.
“As with previous visits, staff numbers are grossly inadequate to ensure adequate patient treatment and a safe environment,” the report said. The hospital in Byala continues to experience an acute shortage of psychiatrists.
There are limited opportunities for psychological, occupational and creative therapy. Most patients simply lie in bed or walk around idly.
CPT emphasizes that patients in Bulgarian psychiatric hospitals are not provided with anything that even comes close to modern psychosocial treatments.
Many patients were not informed of their rights as voluntary patients, including the right to be discharged at will. Thus, de facto, they were deprived of their freedom.
The Committee also requests the Bulgarian authorities to provide the conclusions of the audit of the clinical trials conducted at the Tserova Koria State Psychiatric Hospital, including the ethical approvals of these trials.
Calm atmosphere in care homes
The committee found the atmosphere in the care homes visited to be relaxed and most residents spoke positively of the staff.
In the homes visited, isolation and tying of the residents are not practiced.
Living conditions are relatively good, but the number of attendants and medical staff is “grossly inadequate” to provide adequate care for residents.
In their response, the Bulgarian authorities provide information on measures taken or planned to implement the recommendations made.
Note: Report to the Bulgarian Government on the ad hoc visit to Bulgaria carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 to 31 March 2023. The Government of Bulgaria has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2024) 07.
