Ion Iovchev was reinstated as director of the Tiraspol Theoretical Lyceum “Lucian Blaga” by a court decision. Contacted by IPN for details, Ion Iovchev said that he went to court to show that equity exists in the Republic of Moldova too.

The teacher noted that he will return to his post, but not for a long period of time. He wants a replacement to be grown for him and this should be an upright person who loves the Romanian language and more specialists who would follow in their footsteps should come.

The director underlined the importance of the Romanian language schools working in the Transnistrian region, noting that these are “strategic facilities”.

“In time, I worked as director, minister and also as an ambassador. If we had done only what someone told us, our schools would have disappeared long ago. Despite the turbulence witnessed in the Transnistrian region, the Romanian language schools should remain the priority of the state and normal conditions should be created there for what is national to be kept. There is intense Russification there. We are held hostage in our own country,” said Ion Iovchev.

He also said that he launches in Bucharest a book titled “Hostage in the own country. Book of my life”. This is an autobiographic book about the fight he conducted during these three decades together with parents, teachers and students. He also plans to issue one more volume that will include a series of interviews he gave in Moldova, Romania and other countries.

In a press release, the Ministry of Education and Research said that after analyzing the order to dismiss Ion Iovchev, no preconditions to justify the necessity or opportunity of this order were identified.

Ion Iovchev will take over again on May 16, 2022. On May 27, he will celebrate 30 years of service as director of the Tiraspol Theoretical Lyceum “Lucian Blaga”.

Ion Iovchev was dismissed in June 2021 by order of the then Minister of Education Lilia Pogolșa.