The seven members of the Petrenko group, who were arrested after the protest mounted in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office on September 6, will be investigated outside prison. On February 22, the Rascani Court accepted the requisition of the MPs of the Party of Socialists and changed the form of detention from custody into house arrest. On a social networking site, the Socialists’ leader Igor Dodon wrote that the activists were released under the guarantee of the Socialist MPs, IPN reports.

“Today, February 22, political prisoners Grigore Petrenko, Pavel Grigorciuc, Mihail Amerberg, Alexandru Roshko, Andrei Druzi, Vladimir Jurat and Oleg Buznea were set free from the remand center and placed under house arrest, under the guarantee of the Socialist MPs. It is not yet a complete victory,” said Igor Dodon.

The politician also said that formally these remain under arrest. According to him, the arrest is illegal because the activists protested peacefully. Igor Dodon noted that the struggle goes on and the Party of Socialists will insist on the release of the Petrenko group and the dropping of charges against them.

The members of the Petrenko group were arrested as a result of a protest with altercations staged in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office on September 6. These demanded that politician Vlad Plahotniuc should be held accountable for the ‘illegalities he committed’. According to the police, the protesters tried to force their way into the building, but were hampered by police officers. Metallic chains and padlocks were found in the rucksacks of those arrested.