The parents of Ilie Cazac say that they are concerned about the fate of their son following the sentencing of journalist Ernest Vardanyan to 15 years’ imprisonment by the unconstitutional Transnistrian regime, Info-Prim Neo reports. Ilie Cazac is tried on the same charges as Ernest Vardanyan – treason and espionage for Moldova. “The promises made by Filat, Osipov and the OSCE are empty. Our son was arrested nine months ago. He has been tortured into making false statements. Nobody cares about us. Everyone is indifferent,” Ilie’s mother Stela Surkichean said in a news conference on December 20. The woman said that she saw her son the last time on October 18. “He was chained, very pale and weak. He told me that he was threatened by the Transnistrian authorities and that his case is even more serious than that of Ilie Ilascu. He fears he would serve a long term in prison,” said Stela Surkichean. The woman said that her son is innocent and that he became a victim of political games that involve Russia. “I call on Russia to stop playing with the lives of our sons as they are not guilty,” she said. Ilie’s father Alexandr Vinitski said that his family is not helped by the authorities. According to him, Ilie was forced into making the same statements as those made by Ernest Vardanyan. As he refused, he stayed for 20 days without food and water in the MGB’s cellars. Alexandr Vinitski also said that 20 false witnesses confirmed that Ilie is guilty of treason. “No leak is possible in Moldova. A person fresh from ULIM is not able to spy,” he stressed. At the end of July – the beginning of August, Ilie Cazac’s parents had been on hunger strike for 20 days in front of the Russian Embassy, demanding that their son be released. The 24-year-old man faces up to 20 years in jail and confiscation of the property.