The public association “Patria mea Moldova” (“My homeland Moldova”) asks to immediately set free “Zabolotnyi group” from jail. Members of the organization call on Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo to ensure the charges against this group are dropped.
In a news conference at IPN, Arteom Guriev, the leader of “Patria mea Moldova”, expressed his concern about the intentional delaying of the case of “Zabolotnyi group”. He said that this case is absurd and the current government, after the oligarchs ran away and the regime was replaced, do not hurry to restore justice and to release innocent people from prison.
According to Arteom Guriev, during over four years innocent people have stayed in jail. They were pressured physically and psychologically. After the members of “Zabolotnyi group” were arrested, they were held in remand detention for a month and a half at a time when the law allows for 72 hours. The judges of the ordinary court passed the sentence at night, in breach of the law. It happened in 2017 and the sentence was given in the absence of the lawyers for the accused. “The prosecutors and judges who handled this case are known for cases managed by order, namely Oxana Robu and Denis Rotaru,” stated Arteom Guriev
The Supreme Court of Justice identified multiple violations and incongruities in the case of “Zabolotnyi group”, sending it back to the Appeals Court. The case has been pending there for over a year. Arteom Gueriev believes that this is one more political case that Moldova will lose at the European Court of Human Rights. According to him, besides the financial pressure that will be borne by the citizens, Moldova will show to the whole world that it is an area of wrongdoings.
Nelli Scorțescu, a member of the public organization, said the members of “Zabolotnyi group” are held illegally and do not enjoy a fair trial. They ask the prosecutor general to devote attention to this case and to take action.
Mihail Garbuz, the head of the Party “Moldova’s Patriots”, requested the government to set free the persons who stay in jail because the former leader of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc, who is investigated, wanted so.
“Zabolotnyi group” consists of seven persons who were accused of attempting to murder Vlad Plahotniuc. According to the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases, the operation was planned by thief-in-law Grigore Caramalac, who recruited Valerian Zabolotnyi, then first vice president of the International Federation of Sport Veterans, who, for his part, recruited other persons to fulfill the order.
