Written declaration No. 617 | Doc. 14169 | 11 October 2016

Moldova is urged to refrain from any intimidation of politicians, activists and key witnesses

Signatories: Ms Kristýna ZELIENKOVÁ, Czech Republic, ALDE ; Ms Theodora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Carlos Alberto GONÇALVES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Matjaž HANŽEK, Slovenia, UEL ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Ms Maura HOPKINS, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Snežana JONICA, Montenegro, SOC ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Luís LEITE RAMOS, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Terry LEYDEN, Ireland, ALDE ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Duarte MARQUES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Rónán MULLEN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard PASQUIER, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Mart van de VEN, Netherlands, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Since 2015, thousands of Moldovans have rallied against lawlessness, corruption, oligarchy dictatorship and demanded that those involved in the case of the stolen billion dollars from the Moldovan banking system be brought to justice. Protesters were calling for independence of the State institutions from the influence of oligarchs. Key witnesses, such as Victor and Viorel Topa, Vyacheslav Platon-Kobalev who publicly expressed their willingness to testify about the involvement of tycoon Plahotniuc in money laundering and illegal financial operations, were subjected to political persecution.

On 29 August 2016, Mr Platon-Kobalev was illegally extradited to Moldova by chartered plane from Ukraine. The human rights organisation Amnesty International expressed its concern over the fact that in Moldova, Mr Platon-Kobalev is being held in custody in inhumane conditions of detention.

In its recent Resolution No. 1955 (2013) the Parliamentary Assembly revealed serious dysfunctions of the Prosecutor’s Office and other law enforcement institutions. It highlighted the need for de-politicisation of State institutions and ensuring a better separation of powers, and emphasised that “State institutions should never serve only one party’s or one individual’s interests”.

We hereby call on the Moldovan authorities to respect all their commitments in the field of human rights and to refrain from any intimidation of politicians, activists and key witnesses.