President Maia Sandu said that April 7, 2009 will always remain a non-healing wound of the consequences of an authoritarian regime, which imprisoned the young people who think freely, wanted to govern through fear and was afraid of its own citizens. But April 7 will also go down in history as a symbol of resilience, courage and strength of the people who want to be free. “Democracy is, in fact, believing in our power to build our fate. And when this right is trampled underfoot, we must stand up against evil,” IPN quoted the head of state as saying.
Maia Sandu noted that the young people who rose up on April 7, 2009 suffered because of the violence and terror of a regime that treated its citizens as enemies. “The young people have certainly experienced disappointments too, but no one has succeeded in destroying their dignity and moral strength to face injustice. And, including thanks to them, today we do not live in a closed state, where the people are afraid to think and speak freely. Today the Republic of Moldova remains a democratic state, where the rights are respected and the power is in the hands of the people. Today the doors of the Presidential Place are open as a symbol of the basic value for which the young people fought in April 2009 - freedom. The freedom of every individual and our freedom as a people,” said President Sandu.
In connection with the events of April 7, 2009, Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that 15 years ago, thousands of young people came out in the Great National Assembly Square for freedom, democracy and a European future of the country. “I have said on several occasions that the culprits of those events were policemen, prosecutors, judges and politicians who gave orders. In 15 years later, we have only criminal cases against police officers who weren’t all convicted according to the law. Justice, for now, has overlooked those who gave illegal instructions to prosecutors, judges and policemen,” stated the Premier.
According to him, it is now necessary to complete the justice sector reform so as to have an end result in those cases involving political factors that imposed illegal orders. “Now, however, we can say that their sacrifice was not in vain. We are closer than ever to the European Union, we are building European Moldova here, at home, for the welfare and freedom of every citizen of this country,” said Dorin Recean.
Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said that 15 years ago, thousands of people came out in the center of Chisinau to defend their vote and democracy. “They did it out of a sincere and natural wish because they wanted to get rid of an authoritarian regime and they wanted to live in a free country and democracy. It is perhaps a too road long, but after 15 years we now have the chance to prove to ourselves, but also to the whole world that we, the Moldovans, want to live in a world of peace, freedom and prosperity, which is called the big European family,” noted the Speaker.
These days, the Presidential Place is hosting an exhibition of photographs that reconstruct the events of April 7, 2009. During the week, the doors of the Presidential Palace will be open between 17.00 and 19.00, from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday – from 12.00 to 14.00.
On April 7, 2009, a massive protest was mounted with the participation of mostly young people who were dissatisfied with the results of the April 5 parliamentary elections, which gave the Communists a new majority in the legislature. During the protest, both civilians and policemen suffered various injuries. Only one death was officially registered, that of Valeriu Boboc. Later, representatives of a number of civil society organizations issued a position note saying that the “April 7, 2009” file failed. All the persons holding responsible posts were acquitted or the charges against them were dropped. More than 600 people were mistreated, detained and cruelly beaten in April 2009. They didn’t benefit from an independent and fair justice system. They were detained in inhumane conditions, without food and water. At least five people lost their lives under suspicious circumstances, although the state assumed responsibility for one death only.
