The defense team for the Petrenco group claims that a judge of the Chisinau/Buiucani district court broke the law when she refused to formally acquit the former political detainees, deciding to simply terminate the prosecution instead.

Lawyer Eduard Rudenco told a press conference that the ruling pronounced by Judge Aurelia Cazacliu runs afoul of an ECHR judgment that essentially absolved the Petrenco group. By not issuing an acquittal decision, says Rudenco, Judge Cazacliu has barred his clients from seeking reparations, including punishment for those who had illegally prosecuted and detained them for years on the orders of the now fugitive oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc.

“With this decision, the judge has done everything she could so that those who served the Plahotniuc regime can avoid criminal punishment”, declared Eduard Rudenco, adding that a termination decision procedurally prevents further action against the police officers, prosecutors and judges involved in this politically motivated case.

Lawyer Roman Aronov thinks the latest decision is not a simple judicial error, but a deliberate act so that the Petrenco case does not have further consequences and so that the group members are deprived of their right to seek damages.

Lawyer Ana Ursachi said the decision was putting Moldova “in a very bad light”, given the international notoriety of the Petrenco group’s case. She said she knew “from reliable sources” that Judge Cazacliu was influenced to issue this decision. Ursachi added she hoped the Petrenco group could finally get justice in the appeals court and that Judge Cazacliu would face disciplinary action.