Moldova's opposition leader faces 9 year jail term

Activists from "Moldova Noastra", the country's largest opposition party, say their leader is being politically prosecuted

CHISINAU (Tiraspol Times) - Seeking to silence an outspoken political opponent, Moldova's authoritarian regime is seeking a nine year jail term for the former mayor of Chisinau, who is today the leader of the country's largest opposition party.

According to local press reports, state prosecutor Alexandru Bernaz has asked Chisinau’s Centru District Court for 9 years of detention for former Chisinau mayor Serafim Urechean, the leader of the “Moldova Noastra Alliance,” the country's largest opposition party.

Serafim Urechean has been a loud critic of the government led by strongman Vladimir Voronin. In January, the opposition leader said that almost all areas of Moldova are mismanaged by what is easily Europe's most corrupt and autocratic government.

Serafim Urechean is the leader of Moldova's largest opposition party, the "Moldova Noastra Alliance." With new elections looming, the country's authoritarian government is now seeking to throw him in jail for nine years.

" - Justice, freedom of the media and public broadcasting, the autonomy of the local public authorities, political and electoral reforms, control of public finances, progress of the market economy, cooperation with the civil society, foreign relations and other areas – all of them witnessed negative developments generated by the Voronin Clan," said Serafim Urechean in an interview which was published by Tiraspol Times.

Lawyer: "Case is biased and politically motivated"

The pretext for the heavy sentence is alleged overbilling in the purchase of city ambulances when Urechean was mayor. According to the state prosecutor, the importer, a company unrelated to then-mayor Serafim Urechean, had bought the vehicles abroad at one price and then resold them locally at a higher price. Moldova has no capitalist tradition and government officials in Moldova, which is ruled by the Communist Party, are not inclined to see the concept of a profit motive as a normal way of doing business for private sector companies.

Moldova's Supreme Court has already acquitted Urechean from a criminal probe in the same case in a 17 May 2006 ruling, but the concept of double jeopardy does not apply in Moldova. Now, with new parliamentary elections due next year, it is important for the government to eliminate the leader of the country's largest opposition party from the political scene. Since direct elections for President are not allowed in Moldova (unlike in Transdniestria, where voters freely choose their President in direct elections), these elections will also determine the future presidency of the country. This is because the party that wins a majority in Parliament also gets to choose the president from within its own ranks.

Serafim Urechean says that he is absolutely innocent of all charges, saying that the criminal action against him should be shelved. His lawyer, Vasile Rahlea, says that the prosecutor referred to witnesses in other trials in his plea, and that this is illegal. He also says that the government's investigators committed a number of irregularities, and that this has been confirmed by public statements made by former Anti-Corruption investigator Grigore Gorea who is no longer in his post.

Along with a number of other legal specialists who also agree that the case is without merit, defense lawyer Vasile Rahlea calls the case against Serafim Urechean biased and politically motivated. Nevertheless, Chisinau's Centru District Court is ignoring the Supreme Court’s 2006 decision which demanded an end to the government's criminal proceedings against Serafim Urecheanu.

See also:
» Moldova opposition says country lacks freedom, democracy
» Moldova political prisoners kept in jail with no trial
» Moldovans protest dictatorship after new wave of arrests