District Court drops charges against Communist leader in calumny case

The Buiucani District Court has ended the lawsuit initiated by the president of the Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) Party, Serafim Urecheanu, who alleged his reputation and dignity had been injured by the president of the Communist Party, Vladimir Voronin. AMN said in a press release that the court grounded its decision on the immunity of the President of Moldova, which absolves him of legal liability for the statements made while in office. AMN considers that this decision violates the principle of equality before the law and the principle of the rule of law, placing Vladimir Voronin above it. “It is an act of serving the government, which discredits the Moldovan judiciary and proves its condition of being an impediment towards the country’s European integration”, the press release says, adding that Voronin was called to appear in court not as the head of state, but as the leader of the Communist Party. Serafim Urecheanu brought action against Vladimir Voronin because the latter claimed during a televised show that AMN bought votes to ensure that its representatives became district heads after this summer’s local elections. The judgment may be appealed in the Court of Appeals within 15 days. Other attempts by Serafim Urecheanu to bring Vladimir Voronin to court also failed due to the immunity of the President.