Vitalie Besleaga, a local councilor of Varnitsa village and owner of the firm that produces mineral water “Varnitsa Unicum”, who was arrested by the Transnistrian authorities, went on hunger strike on November 11 in protest at the treatment to which he is subject. The announcement was made by his brother Alexandru Besleaga and lawyer Vladimir Maimust in a news conference at IPN.

According to Alexandru Besleaga, the problems appeared after Vitalie Besleaga, as a local councilor, intervened to resolve a dispute between residents of Varnitsa and Transnistrian militiamen who intended to set up checkpoints. Over the next half a year, his company “Besleaga E.R.V.A.” was subject to pressure and multiple inspections. As a result, he and his business partner Sergey Bevziuc were arrested on suspicion that they violated a number of articles of the Transnistrian legislation on economic activity. The company’s merchandise was confiscated, while the work license annulled. After the two served by one year in jail, the so-called supreme court of Tiraspol released them following the steps taken by their lawyers. However, shortly afterward, the two were kidnapped and the next day the relatives were informed that they were arrested again on different charges.

“Their goal since April 2013 was to hold them in jail and to destroy them there. We do not know how to combat this injustice,” said Alexandru Besleaga, noting that “Promo-LEX” Association filed a complaint over this case to the ECHR. “We call on all the healthy forces from both sides of the Nistru, on Russia as a guarantor and on Ukraine as a guarantor to help us set free our relatives.”

Alexandru Besleaga also said that his brother and Sergei Bevziuc are interrogated daily so that they say who ‘bribed’ the supreme court of law.

Vladimir Maimust said that SRL “Besleaga E.R.V.A.” is registered in Moldova and operates on a territory administered by Moldova and the intervention of the Transnistrian bodies is unjustified. He noted that Vitalie Besleaga suffers from sugar diabetes and is hypertonic and the hunger strike he began today can worsen his state of health.

“I hope those to blame will be held accountable as things cannot go on like this. Today Vitalie Besleaga, while tomorrow someone else. It is a system already and anyone can be affected,” warned the lawyer.