Human life and freedom are the most valuable things in the world.

Alina Radu is an award-winning investigative journalist and the director of the independent investigative newspaper Ziarul de Garda (The Guard newspaper). Through her research and reporting, she has been instrumental in bringing to light trafficking in human beings and organs, which is becoming a major problem in the Republic of Moldova. She has also assisted women victims of trafficking and pays great attention to the rights of women and children in her reports. She has gathered documentation on trafficking for the Council of Europe.

“Corruption, bad economic conditions, and poverty are the main causes for the rise in trafficking in human beings and organs in the Republic of Moldova,” Alina Radu says. In spite of threats from criminals who demand that she stop her investigations, Alina Radu goes ahead. “I am trying to help the victims. They have nobody to tell them where danger lies. We, journalists, can investigate and find the roots of danger for poor victims of networks of traffickers in children, women, and organs,” she says. Alina carried out research about Moldovan women who were victims of trafficking and abused by peacekeeping soldiers in the Balkans. Those women fled from the traffickers and wanted to start life anew, but some of them were in great danger of being trafficked again. Through her articles, Alina has raised awareness of society about this problem and the need for solving it. She also investigated illegal adoptions of babies and trafficking of organs from Moldova to Turkey, Georgia, Estonia, and Germany. “Sometimes we have to face double obstacles – from governments and illegal networks,” Alina explains. “We usually get assistance from our NGOs, international organizations, and our citizens.” Alina is a staunch upholder of independence, freedom of speech, and a free press. “After the communists came to government, we lost our freedoms. Freedom of speech and mass media are still limited,” says Alina. This does not stop Alina from speaking out.

International Association for Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Moldovan Association of Independent TV Journalists Network of Investigative Reporters from South Eastern Europe