CEDH · PRESS;HEARINGS;ENG — 7 mars 2006

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s40F41F73 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .s4B8D41EE { font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .s69BE285C { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:85.05pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-85.05pt } .s9A223E1B { width:11.03pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s595A57E4 { width:85.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s3CED24E9 { width:27.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s9F8EB0C0 { width:18.63pt; display:inline-block } .s9E97F54A { width:85.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS   124 7.3.2006   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER HEARING MANOLE AND OTHERS v. MOLDOVA   The European Court of Human Rights is holding a Chamber hearing today 7 March 2006 at 9.30 a.m., on the admissibility and merits in the case of Manole and Others v. Moldova (application no. 13936/02).   The applicant   The case concerns an application brought by nine applicants, all Moldovan nationals living in Chişinău, who are: Larisa Manole, Corina Fusu, Mircea Surdu, Dinu Rusnac, Viorica Cucereanu-Bogatu, Angela Aramă-Leahu, Ludmila Vasilache, Leonid Melnic and Diana Donică. They are or were all employed by the company Teleradio-Moldova (TRM), which runs the only national state television and radio station in Moldova.   Summary of the facts   The applicants maintain that, although the programmes produced by Teleradio-Moldova had always been censored, the level of censorship reached unacceptable levels after the Communist Party won a large majority in the parliamentary elections in February 2001.   Since that date the applicants claim that no opposition party has been given air-time and all reporting which does not follow the Communist Party line has been banned. Certain words and phrases and references to certain historical periods have also been prohibited. And, from 9 January to May 2002, the Christian Democratic People's Party organised daily mass anti-Government demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people, which journalists were prohibited from covering in the news.   On 25 February 2002, over 300 members of staff from Teleradio-Moldova signed a declaration complaining about “Soviet-style political censorship” and calling on the Moldovan authorities to respect democratic and pro-European principles. The declaration was forwarded to all the news agencies in Moldova and on 26 February about 20,000 people gathered in protest in front of the Teleradio-Moldova building.   On 27 February 2002 Teleradio-Moldova staff decided to take industrial action, they called for the abolition of censorship and started to produce uncensored news programmes.   Ultimately a state of emergency was introduced, military troops were moved onto the company premises and strike leaders were dismissed. Larisa Manole alleges that she was removed from her position as a news editor and newsreader and obliged to leave the company, despite having worked there for 22 years. The other eight applicants complain of Government interference with editorial policy, including the banning of programmes and the cancelling of a live programme shortly before it was due to be aired.   Complaint   The applicants complain under Article 10 (right to freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights about the censorship imposed on Moldovan national television and radio.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Convention on Human Rights on 3 April 2002.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Nicolas Bratza (British), President , Josep Casadevall (Andorran), Matti Pellonpää (Finnish), Rait Maruste (Estonian), Stanislav Pavlovschi (Moldovan), Javier Borrego Borrego (Spanish), Ján Šikuta (Slovakian), judges , Giovanni Bonello (Maltese), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Lech Garlicki (Polish), Ljiljana Mijović (citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina), substitute judges , and also Michael O’Boyle , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government :   Vitalie Pârlog , Agent ,   Diana Sârcu , Lilia Grimalschi , Irina Lupuşor , Advisers ;   Applicant :   Vitalie Nagacevschi , Vladislav Gribincea , Alexandru Tănase, Counsel .   The applicant, Mircea Surdu will also attend the hearing.   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. A decision on admissibility, followed if appropriate by a judgment, will be delivered at a later date.     ***     Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Press contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15)   Stéphanie Klein (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54)   Beverley Jacobs (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 90 21 54 21) Fax: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Since 1 November 1998 it has sat as a full-time Court composed of an equal number of judges to that of the States party to the Convention. The Court examines the admissibility and merits of applications submitted to it. It sits in Chambers of 7 judges or, in exceptional cases, as a Grand Chamber of 17 judges. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervises the execution of the Court’s judgments. More detailed information about the Court and its activities can be found on its Internet site.