Police regime manifests more and more frequently in election period: NGO Coalition 2009

The events having occurred in front of the Moldovan Prosecutor's Office on February 3 “have a direct impact upon the political rights and freedoms, which, although consecrated by the Moldovan Constitution, are not ensured and guaranteed by the state authorities. The non-action of the police and of the General Prosecutor's Office have the effect of annihilating the civic and political activism of the Moldovan citizens, of transforming the citizens from active actors in the ruling processes in passive recipients, misinformed and subjected to a police regime, which manifests more and more frequently in the election period.” These statements are in the Declaration of Coalition 2009 on the non-action of the law-enforcing bodies in the case of the attack at the representatives of the civil society who were peacefully protesting in front of the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO), quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The NGO coalition takes this stance in the wake of the previous statements referring to ensuring the citizens' political rights. In these conditions, Coalition 2009 asks the ombudsmen to take attitude to defend the human rights, and the Parliament, Government and President to unconditionally ensure the observance of the citizens' political rights and freedoms – an indispensable pre-condition for free and fair elections. According to the document, Coalition 2009, in its monitoring the 2009 parliamentary elections, finds that on February 3, 2009, a number of NGOs staged a protest action to support democracy and the political rights in Moldova. While peacefully protesting, the participants were attacked with paint sprays by a group of masked individuals, who started a fight resulting in causing different injuries to protesters. The altercations which could have degenerated in violence with unpredictable consequences took place in the sight of the prosecutors in the GPO , who refused to intervene to curb the violence and to restore the public order. The protesters' repeated insistent calls for the police to intervene and restore the public order were neglected by the bodies entitled to protect the law. Comparing the event with the arrest of Anatol Matasaru on January 29, who was peacefully protesting in front of the GPO, the Coalition is indignant in finding that the police forcefully intervenes to restrict the freedom of expression and assembly, but ignores the legal obligation to ensure the public order, the person's safety and the security of the citizens who were peacefully exerting the rights consecrated by the Moldovan law, on February 3. The Coalition qualifies the inaction of the police bodies and of the GPO as an act gravely undermining the freedom of assembly and expression, annihilating the civic and political activism of the Moldovan citizens, and, implicitly, democracy, the free and fair elections in Moldova. Coalition 2009 is a voluntary union of Moldovan NGOs aiming to contribute to ensure free, fair, transparent and democratic elections for the Moldovan Parliament and continue the activities of promoting free and fair elections started by Coalition 2005 and Coalition 2007. Now Coalition 2009 joins 45 NGOs.