The seven people who, according to the authorities, were planning to “organise destabilising actions and mass disorders” on Sunday, March 12, during the protest announced by the “Movement for the People”, have been remanded in custody for 30 days. The decision was handed down on Tuesday, 14 March, by the Ciocana court in Chisinau.

“The defendants are men with Moldovan citizenship, aged between 21 and 39, and they are accused of being members of an organised criminal group. They are domiciled in the north of Moldova, including Balti, and three of them have previous criminal records and have been investigated for theft and robbery. The arrest followed their apprehension at the scene by INI and DGUP officers of the IGP, with the support of “Lightning” employees, while they were carrying out mass destabilisation actions in Chisinau. Investigations are continuing, during which time they are being presumed innocent according to the law,” says the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS).

The prosecutor handling the criminal case claims that the seven people were trained by a citizen who “has links to the intelligence services of a foreign state”.

Constantin Popescu, a prosecutor in the Office of the Prosecutor for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), who is examining the case, said that “the prosecutors’ request for the application of a preventive measure in the form of 30 days’ preventive custody for seven defendants, who at this stage are suspected of committing the crime of preparing mass disorder, has been examined”.

“The defendants were recruited, organized, instructed in advance (…) by a person recently arrived in the Republic of Moldova, about whom there are reasonable suspicions of connection with the secret services of another foreign state. Within the framework of the measure in question, it was possible to set the so-called instructions aimed directly at organizing actions in the form of opposition, violent resistance to law enforcement bodies involved in maintaining security during the demonstrations held on March 12,” said PCCOCS prosecutor Constantin Popescu.

The General Police Inspectorate (IGP) announced that it had disrupted an operation planned for Sunday, March 12, during the protest announced by the “Movement for the People”, which also includes the “Shor” party, where it was intended to “organize destabilizing actions and mass disorder”. The statements were made by the head of the National Police, Viorel Chernăuțeanu, during a press briefing, where he gave details of the scheme hatched by some citizens of the Russian Federation.

According to the head of the IGP, specialized services from the Russian Federation are involved in possible actions to destabilize Moldova. Diversionists were to be organised in 10 groups of 5 to 10 people, and for provoking law enforcement and creating corridors to organise destabilisation during protests, they were to be paid $10,000 each.

Diversionists were recruited from among people with criminal records and sportsmen and relied on “certain opposition forces in Moldova who will provide lawyers and support if necessary,” the head of the National Police said.