Investigative journalist Emilia Șercan has been the target of a harassment and smear campaign since publishing an article on January 18, 2022, alleging that Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă plagiarized his doctoral dissertation. (Anamaria Dinulescu)

CPJ joins letter calling on Romanian authorities to hasten investigation into harassment of journalist Emilia Șercan

In a joint letter addressed to Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and other government officials on Tuesday, June 28, the Committee to Protect Journalists and seven international press freedom organizations expressed their deep concerns over delays in the investigation into harassment of investigative journalist Emilia Șercan.

Since January, Șercan has received threatening emails and social media messages, and several intimate photos of her were shared online, after she published an article January 18 alleging that Ciucă had plagiarized his doctoral dissertation.

CPJ and other organizations previously wrote to Romanian authorities in April 2022, calling for a swift and independent investigation into Șercan’s case. In the June 28 letter, CPJ and other groups say that “law enforcement authorities seem to have failed” to make progress in the case and that “authorities are neither designating the investigation a priority, nor devoting sufficient resources to it.”

The full text of the letter can be read here.