Reactions all over the world after the decision in the case of Emilia Șercan
European and international media freedom organisations are dismayed by the sudden closure of the investigation of the smear campaign against the journalist Emilia Șercan
Without thoroughly and completely investigating the facts, the prosecutor of the case decides that the disclosure of criminal evidence held by the police and the publication of stolen private photographs do not constitute crimes.
Journalists and organisations defending the freedom of the press expressed today their dismay at the decision of the Romania’s Prosecutor Office at the Bucharest Court of Appeal to close the investigation into the smear campaign against the journalist Emilia Șercan. Thus, the prosecutor issued the extraordinary decision that the “offences” complained of, including the publication of stolen private photographs and the alleged disclosure of evidence held by the police, “were not provided for by criminal law”.
This decision comes twenty months after Șercan first filed a complaint to the police about stolen personal photos posted on adult sites in February 2022. Within hours of filing the complaint, evidence provided by Șercan to the police was then posted on a Moldovan media web-site strongly suggesting that someone within the police had leaked the information.
On 26 October, in anticipation of the probable closure of the investigation, media freedom groups appealed to the Prosecutor General, Alex Florin Florența, demanding the investigation be kept open and transferred to a new team supervised by himself.
The letter noted the litany of failures and clear breaches of procedure in the original investigation, that suggest a deliberate attempt to scupper the investigation and to protect the perpetrators of the crime.
The smear campaign against Emilia Șercan began after she published, in January 2022, revelations that Nicolae Ciucă, President of the Romanian Senate who was at the time Prime Minister, had plagiarized his doctoral dissertation.
This decision fails both Emilia Șercan and all Romanian journalists who seek to hold political power to account.
We support Emilia Șercan’s search for justice and back her appeal to overturn this unjust decision.
Signed:
- International Press Institute (IPI)
- ActiveWatch
- Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
- Committee to Protect Journalists
- European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
- European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
- Free Press Unlimited
- OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
- The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
