Mass media campaign >>> Campaign starting with 18 March 2004 >>> Calumny, abuse, misinformation and private reward !!

AMAZING MISINFORMATION IN THE ROMANIAN MEDIA
July 23, 2005 - Major newspapers and TV stations were announcing from early morning that Gregorian Bivolarus asylum request was rejected two days ago by Malmö immigration authority and that he will be returned in the hands of the Romanian authorities as soon as possible. In these informations there were quotations of statements from Bivolarus lawyers that they never said.
Contacted the lawyers underlined that this is just an ordinary media attack against Mr. Bivolaru trying to create a false pressure on the Swedish authorities. It is also a clear proof of the eagerness and firm intent of the Romanian authorities to detain Mr.Bivolaru.
As previously informed, the migration board in Malmö had not reached a conclusion at that time.

THE REWARD CAMPAIGN
At the initiative of 2 newspapers, an intense 3-week campaign takes place, offering a reward of 50 000 000 ROL (approx. 1400 euro) for information helping to capture Gregorian Bivolaru. The campaign was supported by 4 TV stations.

This was unprecedented in Romania, basically an instigation to “hunt” a person presumed innocent until proven guilty, in the conditions that there are hundreds of other people wanted by the police, many of them real criminals judged and sentenced.

Reward for information about Gregorian Bivolaru
1. TV campaign started also on Monday 24 January 2005, and ended approximately at the same time with the newspapers campaign (no precise data available) TV channels that broadcasted the spot (approx 15-20 sec) about the reward: Realitatea TV, Prima TV, TVR 1 and B1 TV.

2. The campaign was led by 2 newspapers, GARDIANUL and ZIUA, between Monday 24 January 2005 – Thursday 17 February 2005, as follows:

• 24-27 January – both newspapers
• 28, 29 January – only in ZIUA
• 31 January, 1 February – both newspapers
• 2-17 February – only in ZIUA


Number of days: 22
Number of adds: 28

Standard text:
GARDIANUL - 24 January 2005
«Gardianul» and «Ziua» offer 50.000.000 de lei for catching the «Guru»
"Gardianul" and "Ziua" offer 50 million lei to those who provide information helping to catch the MISA leader, Gregorian Bivolaru! He is in Romania! Those who have such information should call 021.224.68.80. The initiative of the two newspapers is backed by a TV campaign that has started today, 24 January 2005, on Realitatea TV, Prima TV, TVR 1 and B1 TV channels. (no author)

ZIUA - 24 January 2005
Ziua and Gardianul help the Justice!
"Gardianul" and "Ziua" offer 50 million lei to those who provide information helping to catch the MISA leader, Gregorian Bivolaru! He is in Romania! Those who have such information should call 021.224.68.80. The initiative of the two newspapers is backed by a TV campaign that has started today, 24 January 2005, on Realitatea TV, Prima TV, TVR 1 and B1 TV channels.

Other articles about the reward:
GARDIANUL 24 January 2005
Question of the day:
Do you think that «Guru» Bivolaru would have been caught if the authorities had offered a reward?
Yes/No Vote at ...

GARDIANUL - 25 January 2005
Question of the day:
Do you think that «Guru» Bivolaru would have been caught if the authorities had offered a reward?
Result of the survey (launched on the newspaper’s site on 24 January): YES 51%, NO 49%

ZIUA - 26 January 2005
The reward on Bivolaru’s head bothers MISA
Instead on handing over to the authorities Gregorian Bivolaru, wanted, so that he would be help accountable, the Movement for Spiritual Integration in the Absolute (MISA) reacts in its typical way to the initiative of ZIUA and GARDIANUL to offer 50 million lei reward to the one who would help catching the fugitive. MISA calls a “dirty instigation” the press campaign of the two publications, accused as “being controlled by the masonry through the freshly decorated Sorin Rosca Stanescu”. The new charges of tax evasion raised by the Prosecutors’ Office against Gregorian Bivolaru are called by MISA “inventions” since “Bivolaru was not and is not associated to any company”. The press, the authorities and the politicians starting with Adrian Nastase are as well blamed in MISA’s press release, which victimizes Gregorian Bivolaru as being persecuted for “not ceasing to denounce the danger represented by the masonry” (R.S.)

ZIUA - 28 January 2005
Guru’s lawyers upset with ZIUA’s reward
The lawyers of MISA leader, Gregorian Bivolaru, expressed their official position on the intention of ZIUA and GARDIANUL to award 50 million lei for any information helping to catch Guru Bivolaru. According to the lawyers, Gregorian Bivolaru was not sentenced by any instance for “committing the alleged crimes referred to in the mentioned newspapers”. Also, Guru’s lawyers claim that any media campaign against citizens “whose guilt was not legally proved” violated the assumption of innocence. The lawyers of MISA leader also state that the media campaigns “inoculate the stigma of guilt on some citizens before they are found guilty” (G.T.)