Grigore Petrenco was declared political detainee by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said the activist’s lawyer Ana Ursachi and former Communist MP Alexandru Petcov, who took part in the Assembly’s meeting. The two told a news conference that the PACE also classed Vladimir Plahotniuc as a threat to democracy, IPN reports.

Alexandru Petcov said a group of three persons from Moldova took part in the Assembly’s meeting where there was signed a statement by which Moldova is requested to set free all the political detainees.

“We were invited to the PACE by a group of European lawmakers, who found out about Petrenco’s case. On the first day of the meeting, we collected signatures to a text entitled the Written Statement of the PACE,” said Ana Ursachi.

“Besides the request to stop violating the human rights, the statement says that Vladimir Plahotniuc is a danger to our country, who is responsible for the fact that political detainees continue to exist.”  

“By these about 200 words, Grigore Petrenco was declared political detainee, while Vladimir Plahotniuc was classed practically as an offender,” stated Alexandru Petcov.

On its website, the PACE published the Written Statement No 138, dated September 30, mentioning it applies only to the 31 PACE member states that signed it.

On September 6, 2015, Grigore Petrenco, together with a group of people, mounted a protest in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office. The event ended with use of violence, six police officers being hurt, while eight protesters were arrested. In two days, Petrenco was placed under arrest for 30 days.