“I want to live in a truly independent country without foreign troops on its territory,” former political prisoner. Info-Prim Neo poll from the series “19 years of Independence”

Tudor Popa, one of the former political detainees of the Tiraspol regime, stated for Info-Prim Neo that after 19 years of independence, he wants to live in a truly independent country without foreign troops on its territory, or in a country where the people will not emigrate and where the Romanian language will fell at home. “Unfortunately, Russia still interferes in our country’s internal affairs. In reality, we do not celebrate independence because half of the territory is occupied and the 14th Army changed only the helmets for blue ones,” Tudor Popa said. “I want the people to return to the country from wherever they are. The Moldovans should not go and work abroad. The Romanian language should feel at home in Moldova. I do not want to remember what I had gone through in my attempts to prevent the russification of the country.” Tudor Popa regrets that he cannot see his mates from the Transnistrian region, who have been near him in difficult times. “They remained there as they are afraid of the regime. But I’m sure that they never stooped believing in Moldova’s real independence. I cannot talk with them over the phone because my telephone is being tapped, but we sometimes have the possibility of meeting in Chisinau,” he said. Tudor Popa formed part of the Ilascu Group. He was arrested by the Transnistrian separatist forces in Tiraspol in June 1992 and set free 15 years later. [Tatiana Ciobanu, Info-Prim Neo]