Gagauz journalist was taken for Russia
Moldovan prosecutors and special services arrested Gagauz journalist Nikolai Kostyrkin. He is accused of “promoting war and inciting hatred among the population.”
The opposition considers what happened to be a continuation of targeted purges of journalists, public activists and politicians critical of the West.
The detention and searches at Kostyrkin’s place of residence took place on the morning of Thursday, June 9. While prosecutors and criminal prosecution officers were studying the contents of cupboards, a collection of knives, Russian military patches and the journalist’s home library, the prosecutor’s office published an audio recording on its website. In this fragment of a conversation between Nikolai Kostyrkin and an unknown interlocutor, the “coming of ours” is discussed. Prosecutors cut out his interlocutor's remarks and answers.
“And when they come, they will say: why can’t you, Moldovans, even stand up for yourself; you haven’t even defended your views, since you are so pro-Russian, to anyone. Why are you so needed,” Kostyrkin says on the recording.
Apparently, he expresses disappointment with the capitulation of the Moldovans. “pro-Russian” politicians, like the Socialist Party, the Civil Congress, Our Party and the SHOR Party.
Nikolai further promises to disseminate this message “through allied telegram channels and the media” and to stir up the situation “so that people in Russia will read, so that people in Russia will know.” The journalist hopes that in this way he will be able to influence “so that in the highest echelons of the Russian government they begin to blow off some heads and put others in their place, so that the special operation is effective.”
Kostyrkin
For reference, Kostyrkin’s own telegram channels “Nikolai Kostyrkin Z Bessarabian Armageddets” and “Random Correspondent – Moldova – Z” have only fifty subscribers each. At the same time, he is also the editor-in-chief of the Gagauz portal Gagauznews, which exists at the expense of the deputy of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, Viktor Petrov.
After February 24, Moldovan state security blocked the portal “for justifying Russia’s actions in Ukraine” and the media switched to working on Telegram, where it quickly became the leader among Gagauz media with five thousand subscribers. This resource has repeatedly published, among other things, Kostyrkin’s calls for the Kremlin to increase investments in pro-Russian projects in Moldova.
On the day of his arrest, late in the evening, Nikolai Kostyrkin was released home, notifying him of the need to appear for questioning the next day. He was officially charged with suspicion under Article 140, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova “Propaganda of War” and Article 346 “Incitement of Discord”. Together with the charges, the journalist could face up to six years in prison.
Kostyrkin’s employer, Deputy of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia Viktor Petrov, called the incident an “unpleasant situation.” Commenting on the searches and detentions, he noted that this should not happen in a democratic society.
“Lawyers will join the fight for the rights and freedom of the editor-in-chief of Gagauznews. We will fight for his rights and defend the honor and dignity of both him and other citizens,” Petrov said.
Petrov
Victor Petrov was among the deputies of the People's Assembly who openly opposed the ban on the St. George ribbon in Moldova and Gagauzia. Kostyrkin, as editor-in-chief of Gagauznews, also defended the tape as a symbol of the Great Victory. For these speeches against the officially approved point of view of the authorities on guards symbols, the Moldovan police also opened cases, but only administrative ones.
The Socialist Party, which claims to be in opposition, also noticed the searches and detention of the journalist. Socialist MP Bogdan Tsyrdea connected the incident with the warning issued the day before by the official speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, to Moldova, where she did not advise pumping the country with NATO weapons.
“If this recording is all they have, then this is not a case, but nonsense,” commented blogger Gabriel Calin, close to the PSRM.
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