The Center for Investigative Journalism from Moldova (CIJM) has over 20 years of experience in conducting journalistic investigations, and many journalists who specialize in this field began their careers within the Center. This was emphasized by CIJM President Cornelia Cozonac, who presented at the Regional Forum of Investigative Journalists the center’s main achievements, as well as the ways in which journalism can bring about change in society. The Forum, held in Chișinău, is organized by CIJM with financial support from International Media Support and Soros-Moldova.

Cornelia Cozonac noted that the forum is a platform for high performance in the field and that participants are experienced journalists who specialize in uncovering abuses and illegal schemes. Over the two decades of activity, CIJM has produced more than 1,000 investigative reports, most of which have had a visible impact on society.

"We have faced over 30 lawsuits as a result of our investigations. The shield of protection for journalists is accuracy. CIJM has not lost a single case, which proves that objectivity and correctness define us. Our team has endured countless pressures, problems, trials, and attacks, because when you challenge someone’s interests in our small Moldova, there are often more defenders of the corrupt than of the journalists who take them on.

We have stood firm, had the courage to continue, and kept exposing corruption because we’ve always had a team of brave, bold, persistent, and principled people. Politicians come and go, but we remain at our post doing our work.

Many of the best journalists have grown and developed in our team—none of them ended up working for Șor, Plahotniuc, or Dodon’s media outlets. They built a strong backbone here that no one can bend. The Center always had their back, even when resources were scarce.

In over 20 legal cases, those targeted by our investigations tried to silence us, to push us aside—but they failed, even when they demanded millions. Losing just one case would have meant the end of our work, but we didn’t lose any of them.

The only case we lost domestically was one regarding access to information, which we initiated against major state institutions—now it is being examined by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

In 20 years, we’ve produced hundreds of investigative reports. Dozens of them led to criminal cases, and some of those investigated lost their positions or even ended up in prison—including in other countries where justice acted, while our prosecutors looked the other way. Some of our investigations even led to changes in legislation.

I am proud of what we’ve achieved, of the people who have grown professionally alongside us—people we taught and also learned from. This proves that you can do independent, professional journalism in Moldova, investigate any topic, and know there’s a platform to publish it. The satisfaction of a job well done is all that matters,” said Cornelia Cozonac.

Julieta Savițchi, investigative journalist:

“I’m a journalist with the most criminal cases triggered by my investigations. I can say I had a role even in the case of former General Prosecutor Alexandr Stoianoglo, specifically on the illicit enrichment charge. This followed my investigation where I discovered that his family owns a beauty salon that operated in violation of regulations.
As for his deputy, Ruslan Popov, the criminal case against him was initiated directly due to my report revealing that he owned multiple businesses under other people’s names, as well as undeclared assets.”

Ion Preașcă, investigative journalist:

“We proved the damage, the possible scheme behind price inflation, and how a private intermediary was making millions off Moldovan consumers. It was about a company registered in Hungary, allegedly backed by high-ranking officials from Moldova and Ukraine.
As a result of this investigation, I lost my job, but the impact was worth it. We can now see that what we revealed has become part of the official narrative.”

Other journalists also spoke about their personal experiences and the societal impact of their investigations:

Mariana Rață exposed that there are at least seven anabolic steroid production factories operating in Moldova, four of which were clandestine laboratories. Ilie Gulca uncovered a cryptocurrency scheme in Transnistria, revealing that its main beneficiary was the Sheriff holding and a former officer of Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Sergiu Bozianu, legal expert, emphasized ways journalists can avoid court battles.

“Those who file lawsuits against journalists and newsrooms are usually high-profile individuals with financial resources, public positions, and leverage they can use against journalists. Still, if we avoid errors and operate with objective data, the plaintiffs usually lose”.

The second edition of the Regional Investigative Journalism Forum is held with the support of International Media Support (Denmark), the Soros Foundation-Moldova, and the Tactical Tech organization from Berlin.

Event partners include: StarNet company, Rezident.NGO organization, the Faculty of International Relations and Journalism of ULIM, as well as the companies Azuga, VitaPharm, Gitana, and Nivalli.