Romania defends an accused journalist against Russia

Russia is prosecuting CH Media reporter Kurt Pelda for illegally crossing the border. He is not the only foreign journalist to be targeted by Russian action. But the reaction in the country of origin was very different.

Doris Clerk/ch media

War correspondent Kurt Pelda finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. Russia's secret service, the FSB, has filed a lawsuit against a CH Media reporter. Perda was charged with illegally crossing the border. Two text messages about the escort of Ukrainian soldiers to Suja, the capital of Kursk region, angered Russians. Perda faces up to five years in prison.

Perda is not the only journalist to face action from Russian authorities. Since August 17, 14 foreign journalists have been charged with the same thing.

But the response from the governments of these journalists’ countries of origin was very different. Romanian journalist Mircea Barbu has received strong support from the government. An international arrest warrant was issued for Barbu. Over the weekend, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu commented on this. He strongly condemned the “blatant attack on press freedom.” “We stand with you, Mircea Barbu,” Romania's prime minister wrote on Facebook. Senate President Nikolai Chuka said Barb “is reprehensible for his courage in reporting the truth about Kursk” and called the Russian authorities' actions a “cynical attempt to silence voices condemning abuses.” The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also commented on Mircea Barbu several times on the text messaging service X.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its solidarity with all persecuted journalists in a tweet on Friday. The same goes for Kurt Pelda.

But what does the Federal Foreign Office (FDFA) think of public statements about Russian criminal proceedings against Pelda?

The FDA is cautious. The person is understood to have crossed the Russian border and Russia has initiated proceedings under its legislation. Roughly translated, this means: Perda crossed the border illegally and must face the consequences. The Federal Court in Bern told Perda that the journalists were just “ordinary people”. Which deviants the FDFA will support more often remains a secret.

Nonetheless, the FDFA reminds us that journalists play an important role in providing the public with free, independent, and trustworthy information, both in peacetime and in times of war.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet taken any diplomatic measures. (aargauerzeitung.ch)