Disinformation that takes place under the guidance of a foreign state and affects national security can be considered treason, said PAP Adrian Cheptonar, a member of the Parliament’s Commission on National Security, Defense and Public Order. According to the lawmaker, the PAS government decided to regulate more explicitly the notion of treason and, based on the new law, the people who created the political bloc “Victory” in Moscow can be penalized, IPN reports.
According to an amendment proposed by PAS MPs, Article 337 of the Criminal Code will be amended and the notion of treason will be regulated more explicitly. Through a press release, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova announced that by amending the Criminal Code, an additional form of betrayal will be introduced – offering of assistance to a foreign state, a foreign organization, an anti-constitutional entity or their representatives to carry out hostile activities against state security. And this can also be expressed through disinformation campaigns.
“The disinformation part is not expressly dealt with in the new edition of Article 337, but if prosecutors can prove that disinformation comes under the guidance of a foreign state and aims to cause harm to national security, in this case it can be treated as such, only if prosecutors can prove that there is the involvement of a foreign state or an anti-constitutional organization. Respectively, the prosecutors’ duty will be to provide evidence in this regard. The disinformation campaigns are elements of betrayal of the homeland, if they aim to harm national security,” Adrian Cheptonar stated in the talk show “Resumé” on RliveTV channel.
The MP noted that the legislation is also amended in order to investigate politicians who recently created the political bloc “Victory” in Moscow for treason. Based on the old version of the Criminal Code, prosecutors cannot accuse representatives of the Shor group of treason.
“We, together with prosecutors, proposed this version and offer this tool to the Prosecutor’s Office. The representative of the Prosecutor’s Office said that this amendment to Article 337 of the Criminal Code allows holding accountable the people who went to Moscow to found a political entity to participate in elections in Moldova. The Russian Federation would never accept such actions to take place “in the mirror”, for example, a political party formed in Chisinau to participate in the federal elections in Russia,” said the MP of the Party of Action and Solidarity.
The new version of the Criminal Code will stipulate that treason is the act committed intentionally, by a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, against the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security or defense capability of the Republic of Moldova, in the interest of a foreign state, a foreign organization, an anti-constitutional entity or their representatives. It is expressed by taking sides with the enemy in times of war or armed conflict, espionage, disclosure of state secrets, assisting in activities hostile to national security.
