Val Butnaru

Affiliated media: Jurnal TV, Founder of independent broadcaster

Incident date: July 26, 2022

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Safety of Journalists Platform

Location: Moldova, Chisinau

Additional information:

On 26 July 2022, the Buiucani Court in Chisinau found Val Butnaru, founder of independent broadcaster Jurnal TV guilty of slander, fined him 4,500 Moldovan lei (US$233), and banned him from holding TV and radio leadership posts for six months. The ruling follows from a July 2021 Jurnal TV investigation based on leaked police and prosecutor files, which alleged that Vitalie Grabovski, the former head of the Dubăsari Police Inspectorate was involved in cigarette smuggling along with two other police officers. Jurnal TV appealed the decision and expects a trial to be held this autumn.