On May 30-31, Georgian-language Facebook user and the page “Anti-Liberal Doctrine” disseminated the information that 5 opposition TV channels in Moldova, which submitted incomplete information about funding, will be shut down. According to the comments, Facebook users perceive the information as persecution of opposition media and pressure on independent media.
Information about the closure of TV channels in Moldova is disseminated without context. In fact, all five channels whose broadcasting license will be revoked are linked to pro-Russian oligarchs who have fled the country.
On May 30, 2024, a decision was made in Moldova to close television stations linked with pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor and fugitive Vlad Plahotniuc. According to the decision of the Council for the Promotion of Investment Projects of National Importance, the license was suspended for 3 companies – Telesistem TV, Archidoc Group and Telestar Media, which own TV stations: Primul în Moldova, Accent TV, Orizont TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3.
As we read in the press release issued by the government of Moldova, the companies violated the requirement to provide full information on funding. The companies provided information on only one bank account and hid the 5 and 8 accounts they had in different banks. According to the statement, an analysis of the transactions revealed that they were linked to Plahotniuc and Shor.
In December 2022, licenses were also suspended in Moldova for 6 TV channels – First in Moldova, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6, and Orhei TV, which spread disinformation, including false claims about the Russia-Ukraine war. These channels tried to manipulate public opinion about the war. 4 of the mentioned channels regularly broadcast programs from Russian TV channels, whose broadcasting licenses in European countries were terminated as a result of the sanctions imposed by the European Council.
Moldovan pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor currently lives in Israel. Shor is accused of fraud and money laundering, for which he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, and then to 15 years. In 2019, when he was under house arrest, the businessman fled to Israel. Ilan Shore sponsored anti-Western protests against Moldovan President Maia Sandu, calling for her resignation over her pro-Western and pro-EU policies. According to Moldovan authorities, the demonstrations were part of a Russian campaign aimed at replacing the country’s current government with a Kremlin government. Shor is sanctioned by the US and the EU.
Oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, who is considered the richest person in the country, has also been sanctioned by the US and the European Union. He is accused of taking over and corrupting Moldovan state institutions. In 2019, after a pro-Western government took over, he fled Moldova to the US, although the US declared him persona non grata. According to reports, Plahotniuc was in Turkey after leaving the US; however, in 2024, the media also wrote that he lives in Northern Cyprus.
About the Sources
Facebook user Davit Jebashvili systematically spreads fake information. “Myth Detector” has verified the user’s false claims in the past as well.
The “Anti-Liberal Doctrine” account, which publishes pro-government and anti-Western posts, is managed by Irakli Jankarashvili, a supporter of the “Patriots Alliance”, together with other pages, including Publicist.ge. Fact-checking organizations, including myth detector Anti-Liberal Doctrine, have flagged posts as fake news.
The account “Anti-Liberal Doctrine”, which publishes pro-government and anti-Western posts, is managed by Irakli Jankarashvili, a supporter of the pro-Kremlin “Alliance of Patriots” party. The posts published by “Anti-liberal Doctrine” have been labelled as false by a number of fact-checking organizations, including Myth Detector.
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