The Government intends to convince the seven persons who complained to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that they have been accused of involvement in organizing the April 7 protests in Chisinau to withdraw their applications. Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase said that if an agreement is reached with the plaintiffs, the Government will issue a unilateral declaration whereby it will admit all the violations committed against the given persons, Info-Prim Neo reports. The announcement was made at a meeting with the plaintiffs on September 30. The seven cases against Moldova are: Matasaru, Stati and Marinescu, Gheorghe and Anatol Stepuleac, Mocanu, Popa, Netanyahu and a case in which the plaintiff is not known “Until the investiture of the new government, these applications were unacceptable, but the new government accepts that a number of rights guaranteed by the European Convention were indeed violated,” Alexandru Tanase said. At the same time, the minister urged the plaintiffs to solve the cases amicably, by discussing with every party separately, so that the applications could be withdrawn. “The previous Government chose to solve the cases by court. Given that the cases can be solved amicably before the ECHR passes its final judgment, the parties can reach an amicable agreement at any moment,” said the Government's agent to the ECHR Vladimir Grosu. Former presidential adviser Sergiu Mocanu, who was accused by the former authorities of involvement in the April 7 protests, said that he welcomes the Minister of Justice's proposal. “What is important is that the persons who violated the rights are held accountable. I would like to stay in jail on Voronin's not my money,” Mocanu said. Anatol Matasaru, who was also accused in a number of cases, said that he approves of the Minister's proposal, but the plaintiffs should be paid damages as they suffered pain and humiliation. “We are glad that the authorities have now a different view on the violations, but these violations were committed by a series of institutions. I think that the Ministry of Justice cannot offer a solution by itself as the opinions of all the parties involved should be taken account of,” said plaintiff Anatol Stepuleac. His brother Gheorghe Stepuleac said that instead of reaching an amicable agreement he would like to see the former head of state, minister of the interior and prosecutor general in prison so that they see by themselves the detention conditions. The lawyers for the plaintiffs said that if the Government issues the declaration, the state will be exempted from paying damages of about 70,000 euros as every case would cost about 10,000 euros. But they said that their clients do not aim to obtain damages, but to be acquainted. The lawyers are to inform the Ministry of Justice about their decision in the near future.