The Democratic Party has said in a press release it notified international observers monitoring the February 24 plebiscite about the “abusive interference of the Russian Federation in the Moldovan elections” after criminal charges were announced in Moscow against the party’s leader Vlad Plahotniuc just two days before the vote.

“We consider these actions to be initiated with the purpose of influencing the outcome of the Moldovan elections, to manipulate public opinion, and to advantage a certain political force at the disadvantage of another”, reads the press release.

The Democrats say they also notified the international community about “repeated attempts by Russian special services to restrict the freedom of movement of some party members by sending warrants to the Interpol on fake charges, including during the election season.” The Democrats note that these “hybrid warfare” attempts have been rejected by the Interpol as “actions of political harassment”.

“This latest case of intimidation, together with the abuses in relation to the two Moldovan pilots that have been detained without justification in Moscow with the purpose of advancing the electoral interests of a certain political party, as well as the propaganda carried out by Russian entities through mass media represent sufficient evidence of Russia’s abusive meddling in the Moldovan elections”.

The Democratic Party complained in particular to the observation missions OSCE/ODIHR, ENEMO, IRI, other observers, and the foreign embassies in Chisinau.