Chisinau has sent a note to the political leadership of the Russian Federation, which highlights a series of abuses committed against officials of the Parliament, Government, intelligence services and ruling coalition parties in Moldova. The note described how Moldovan officials are stopped harshly at the border of the Russian Federation, questioned, searched, treated with humiliation by the representatives of the Russian special services. „Such a behavior is both inappropriate and unjustified”, is declared in a press release of the Parliament. Russian Ambassador Farid Mukhametshin was informed that until solving this problem, the Moldovan officials will be asked to abstain from traveling to the Russian Federation. All these abuses and harassment of the Moldovan officials at the border of the Russian Federation and putting them under international monitoring, have increased by the advancement of the Moldovan investigators in the case of 22 billion dollars laundering through Moldinconbank. The money came from the Russian Federation.

Speaker Andrian Candu, and Prime Minister Pavel Filip held today a meeting with the Russian Ambassador to Moldova Farid Mukhametshin. The meeting was attended also by the Minister of Internal Affairs Alexandru Jizdan, Justice Minister Vladimir Cebotari as well as a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

The subject of the discussion was the submission of a note to the political leadership of the Russian Federation, highlights a series of abuses committed against officials of the Parliament,  Government, intelligence services and ruling coalition parties in Moldova.

Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova has reported these abuses through several notes, but they were not answered, and the situation has continued and even became worse.

The note described how Moldovan officials are stopped harshly at the border of the Russian Federation, questioned, searched, treated with humiliation by the representatives of the Russian special services. Such a behavior is both inappropriate and unjustified.

At the same time, the note described the way one institution from Moscow has tried for several times to put under international monitoring several Moldovan politicians, including MPs, using fake information and data. Their abusive requests were rejected due to an obvious attempt of harassment on Moldovan officials.

There have been registered times when over 15 such requests per person have been sent, which underlines the political harassment aspect. Each time, the request has been rejected. 

After this failure, the respective institutions of the Russian Federation have started a new form of abuse, trying to impose international monitoring on a category of persons referred through bilateral relationship of the Russian Federation with certain countries in the hope that the information will not be checked, and the fake data behind it will not be discovered. As a result, the Moldovan authorities began communication with these countries in order to stop this new form of abuse.

All these abuses and harassment of the Moldovan officials at the border of the Russian Federation and putting them under international monitoring, have increased with the advancement of the Moldovan investigators in the 22 billion dollars laundering case through Moldinconbank. The money came from the Russian Federation. Specifically, immediately after the bank officials have been arrested, and judges and executors were put under accusation, some of them already have been sent to court. The abuses have intensified with the requests submitted by the Moldovan investigators to the Russian Federation to obtain essential information on the money mentioned. It is said that the investigation revealed links between some of the money and attempted bribery of deputies of the Parliament of Moldova.

We point out the fact that only in recent months, at least 25 Moldovan officials were stopped and treated abusively at the entry into the Russian Federation.

The note highlights the abuse reported on officers from Moldovan institutions in charge of the investigation, which were also treated abusively at the entrance to the Russian Federation. An employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has had no less than 35 abusive treatments when entering or leaving a Moscow airport.

Another concern expressed is linked to the total lack of cooperation of law enforcement bodies of the Russian Federation with Moldovan investigators in this case, and refusing to respond to letters sent by Moldovan prosecutors in the investigation of the case of 22 billion dollars laundering. Several bilateral agreements have been violated in this respect along with an international agreement to which Russian Federation takes part. 

The Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister have notified the Russian Ambassador Farid Mukhametshin about the fact that they have received notifications from law enforcement institutions in Moldova in connection with several types of risks related to Moldovan officials, including risks relating to travel in the Russian Federation. As a result, it was decided the transmission of the official note to the Russian leadership, which calls for immediate action in order to stop the abuse. Also, the Russian Ambassador was announced that until solving this problem, Moldovan officials will be asked to abstain from traveling to the Russian Federation.

Both in the note sent to Moscow, and during the discussion held with Ambassador Farid Mukhametshin, the President of Parliament and Prime Minister mentioned that the data analyzed so far shows that the nature of the problem would not be a political one, these actions were initiated at the indication of one of the Russian special services, whose representatives conduct the interrogation on Moldovan officials when they arrive in the Russian Federation. Russian politicians are therefore invited, in good faith, to clarify the situation from the perspective of domestic abuse.

The Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister have expressed their beliefs that the delicate situation will be cleared up in no time, the abuse stopped, and those who directed these actions will be held accountable. Moldova wants cordial and constructive relations with the Russian Federation, mutual respect and cooperation in the interest of both countries.