Activist Fiodor Ghelici, who presents himself as the ambassador of the International Organization for Educational Development (IOED) of India, said he and the organization he represents took part in the process of obtaining the release of the Moldovan pilots who were held hostage in Afghanistan and whose release was announced two days ago by President Igor Dodon.

In a news conference at IPN, Fiodor Ghelici said his main duty was to transmit information about the Moldovan pilots to the head office of the IOED. He also had meetings with the Head of Parliament, Premier, minister of economy where he discussed the issue of the captured Moldovans.

The activist noted the main objective of the cooperation was to keep the Moldovans alive and representatives of the organization in India made effort to do this by religious influences. They later passed the task on to the Parliament’s commission on national security, defense and public order that continued to monitor the state of the Moldovans.

Fiodor Ghelici noted it is unpleasant and incorrect for the happy release of the Moldovans in Afghanistan to be associated with the election campaign. The politicians lost the sense of correctness and human respect and use the sufferings of compatriots for political purposes so as to create an image. The pilots should return home as soon as possible as the family is the most favorable environment for rehabilitation.

The activist noted it is not right for the Moldovan pilots to be held in Russia. According to the information he obtained from the international organization he represents, these were to get to Chisinau at the end of last summer.

A helicopter that belonged to a Moldovan company was captured as a result of a forced landing in Afghanistan by Taliban rebels in November 2015. The crew consisted of three Moldovan pilots. One of them died.

In a press briefing on February 11, President Igor Dodon announced that the two Moldovan citizens who had been held hostage in Afghanistan since 2015 were set free. These are now at a hospital in Moscow and at the end of this week will be brought to Moldova. The release was possible owing  to the involvement of the Russian administration following an approach made by him.