Disinformation in Another Country’s Interests Is to Be Considered Treason

The concept of “treason against the homeland” will be more clearly regulated in the legislation. In addition, according to an amendment drafted by two MPs, it is proposed to introduce an additional form of treason - assisting a foreign state in organizing disinformation campaigns. MPs Lilian Carp, chair of the Committee for National Security, Defense and Public Order, and Igor Chiriac, secretary of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Appointments and Immunities, intend to register an amendment for Article 337 of the Moldovan Criminal Code. Parliament on 24 May held public consultations on the initiative with representatives of the Security and Intelligence Service, the Justice Ministry and the Prosecutor General’s Office, according to a parliamentary press release. The amendment was drafted in order to “strengthen the normative framework in the field of ensuring state security and combating criminal activities against the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security or defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova.” Thus, it is proposed to provide in the Criminal Code that “treason against the motherland, i.e. an act deliberately committed by a citizen of the Republic of Moldova to the detriment of the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security or defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova, in the interests of a foreign state, foreign organization, anti-constitutional entity or their representatives, expresses in: switching to the side of the enemy during war or armed conflict; espionage; disclosure of state secrets; assisting in the implementation of hostile acts of war or armed conflict; and the use of the state secret.” It is also proposed to introduce an additional form of high treason. It is about assisting a foreign state, foreign organization, anti-constitutional entity or their representatives to carry out hostile activities against the security of the state. This may be expressed, inter alia, in disinformation campaigns, organized activities over a certain period of time, aimed at achieving hostile goals by misinforming society, which may harm the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security or defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova. The draft amendment must be registered and reviewed at the relevant committee. For now, treason against the homeland is defined by the Criminal Code as “an act deliberately committed by a citizen of the Republic of Moldova to the detriment of the sovereignty, territorial inviolability, state security and defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova, by siding with the enemy, espionage, disclosure of state secrets to a foreign state, foreign organization or their representatives, as well as assisting a foreign state in carrying out hostile activities against the Republic of Moldova.”