Seven MEPs, among who is Monica Macovei, expressed their profound concern about the expulsion from Moldova of six Turkish citizens who are educators of “Orizont” Lyceum. They addressed a letter to President Igor Dodon and Prime Minister Pavel Filip where they strongly criticize these actions, IPN reports.

In the letter, the MEPs say they were shocked to find out about the detainment of these people by Moldovan intelligence officers on their way to their schools or from their houses without any legal procedure, with the intention of illegal deportation without any trial or any contact with their lawyers, in violation of basic human rights.

In a posting on Facebook, Monica Macovei says that under the Convention of the Council of Europe and the UN Convention, the expulsion or deportation of people to countries where these could be tortured and subject to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for their political opinions, including in dictatorships, and dictatorship has been witnessed in Turkey since Erdogan took over by a coup, is banned.

In a message on Twitter, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn says he expects the Moldovan government and all authorities to respect the rule of law and all established judicial procedures in the case of the “Orizont” teachers.

A teacher of the lyceum, who insisted on anonymity, told IPN that seven persons among whom were the vice director general of “Orizont” Lyceum, the director of the branch in Durlești town, the director of the branch in Ceadâr-Lunga town and a teacher, were taken from near their houses in the morning of September 6. A minor was also arrested, but was later set free. It is not known where these persons are. They sought political asylum in the Republic of Moldova in spring and were to get an answer to their applications in October. Therefore, the expulsion is not fully correct from legal viewpoint.