Ilie Cazac’s parents go on hunger strike in front of Russian Embassy in Chisinau

The parents of Ilie Cazac from Bender, who was arrested by the Transnistrian secret services for state betrayal and espionage, went on hunger strike in front of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau on June 12. Stela Surchicean and Alexandr Vinitchii hope they will be thus heard and helped, Info-Prim Neo reports. The mother of the arrested young man said she was phoned on the eve and told that the Embassy cannot interfere in the internal affairs of Transnistria. “They said our protest will be useless as they cannot intervene,” said the woman, who is hopeful that at least the European organizations will help them. The parents are determined not to give up the hunger strike and say they cannot return home without results. “We don’t know what’s happened to our son. We don’t know where to go and seek help. We will stay here until we die,” said Stela Surchicean. Ilie’s step father Alexandr Vintchii said all their approaches to the Transnistrian authorities remained unheard. “We phoned and inquired about his health, but they refused to tell us something. They do not allow us and the lawyer to see him. I cannot understand what kind of secret information he could have furnished to Moldova as Bender is in Moldova. What kind of information can a person working for the tax bodies in Bender posses?” Alexandr Vinitchii asked. Ilie Cazac’s parents said they have received three letters from the Transnistrian security services. The first two say Ilie is fine, but refuses to be examined by the doctors, while the third says they do not have doctors that could examine him. “How can we believe these letters?” Ilie’s father asked with indignation. Ilie Cazac, 24, is an employee of the Bender Tax Inspectorate. He was arrested in March, when he was returning from work. The place where the young man is held is not known. Ilie Cazac is accused of spying for Moldova and betraying the state and faces up to 20 years in jail. Earlier, when asked to comment on Stela Surchicean’s and Alexandr Vinitchii’s intention to go on hunger strike, the Russian Ambassador in Chisinau Valery Kuzmin advised the parents to appeal to the Transnistrian authorities as the Russian Embassy cannot intervene for diplomatic reasons. “The Moldovan Transnistrian Republic is an unrecognized state. But is has state bodies and one should not wait for somebody from outside to come and do justice,” Valery Kuzmin said then.