Ilie Cazac's parents: We will not demand pardoning our son as he is innocent

The parents of Ilie Cazac, who was sentenced to 14 years in jail for spying for Moldova by the unconstitutional Transnistrian authorities, say they may appeal the decision to a higher court, but will not ask that their son be pardoned as he is not guilty, Info-Prim Neo reports. Stela Surchicean and her husband Alexandr Vinitski picketed the OSCE Mission in Chisinau on February 10, in protest at the decision passed by a Tiraspol court one day earlier. Ilie's mother believes the hearing where her son was convicted was intentionally timed to coincide with the visit of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis to Tiraspol. Stela Surchicean is convinced that by passing such a sentence, the Transnistrian authorities wanted to show that they are a force and nobody can influence them, even OSCE. The woman said that she met with the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Philip Remler, who promised they will try to hold negotiations and clarify the situation. A former employee of the Bender Tax Inspectorate, Ilie Cazac was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment on February 9, after he had been in detention for a year. On December 17, 2010, journalist Ernest Vardanyan was found guilty on the same charges and sentenced to 15 years in prion.