FAKE NEWS: Journalist detained by the police state

Romanian police abusively detained a journalist because she went to report on a protest NEWS: “Journalist Iosefina Pascal, known for her investigations into pandemic fraud, in Romania but also in Europe, was picked up and taken to the police last night after participating in the protests at the Palace of Parliament. The announcement was made by Sorin Roșca Stănescu on YouTube”.NARRATIVE: 1. The Romanian police state detained a journalist during a protest. 2. Freedom of expression is violated in Romania.LOCAL CONTEXT / ETHOS: On December 21, a protest  was held at the Palace of Parliament, partly assumed by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) - its representatives stated that some of the protesters were not summoned by them - as a result of which the entrance into the courtyard was forced and several cars, including one belonging to the US embassy, ​​were vandalized. Following these incidents, the Romanian authorities launched an investigation to identify and punish the culprits, and during the investigation Iosefina Pascal, presented as a journalist for Gold FM radio station, was also asked to provide clarifications.The announcement regarding the detention of Iosefine Pascal  was made  by Sorin Roșca Stănescu,  a former convict  in a case in which he was accused, among other things, of "forming an organized criminal group". Sorin Roșca Stănescu used to be involved in politics and, before that, he was a journalist, with many question hanging over his head as to the way he carried out his activity.Iosefina Pascal is also intensely promoted by the Kremlin loudspeaker, Sputnik, which placed her  second in a ranking it made of the Romanian press in 2021 . Ranking third in this classification made by Sputnik is the controversial self-titled analyst Cosmin Gușă; his son is the official owner of Gold FM, for which Iosefina Pascal allegedly worked as a reporter covering the protest at the Palace of Parliament.

Iosefina Pascal has been known as a journalist for a relatively short time. She was previously known as a fashion designer and assistant to former MP and MEP Maria Grapini. Pascal has distinguished herself by promoting conspiracy theories and false narratives about the Covid pandemic and has even been described as the organizer of one of the first anti-Covid protests in  2020.

PURPOSE: To discredit the Romanian state, to present Iosefina Pascal as a victim, while at the same time defending her and the theories she supports as legitimate.

WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Iosefina Pascal was invited to the Police Headquarters, along with other people, to provide information about the Parliament events, she “agreed” to go, and after it was “established” that “she was present at the events as a journalist, in order to produce a press material [...] she soon left the headquarters of the General Police Directorate of Bucharest”, a Bucharest Police communique reads.