After being acquitted on Wednesday, February 28, in the case of overstepping his duties, Alexandr Stoianoglo was due to appear before magistrates on Thursday, February 29, in the case of the inviolability of personal life. However, the trial did not take place.

The case concerning the inviolability of personal life has been before the magistrates of the Buiucani Court of Chisinau since July 2022. The criminal case was initiated after Stoianoglo publicly read out, during a press briefing, messages from the phone of former Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) chief Viorel Morari, which were obtained following the seizure of Morari’s mobile phone in a criminal case.

Since July 2022, 17 court hearings have been scheduled in the case in which Stoianoglo is under investigation for inviolability of personal life, but only two have been lucrative. The last one, which was due to be held today, 29 February 2024, did not take place, as two of the members of the trial panel were delegated to the seminar.

Yesterday, 28 February, Alexandr Stoianoglo was acquitted by the magistrates of the Buiucani District Court in the case in which he was accused of exceeding his official duties, but he remains under investigation in two other cases, abuse of power and inviolability of privacy.

• VIDEO/ “No evidence has been presented to prove the charges against me”. Statements of the former prosecutor general after being acquitted in one of the cases in which he is under criminal investigation

The criminal cases in which Stoianoglo is listed

Alexandr Stoianoglo was dismissed from the position of Prosecutor General in early October 2021, under investigation for passive bribery, making false statements, abuse of office and exceeding official duties. On 26 September 2023, Alexandr Stoianoglo was relieved of his duties as Prosecutor General.

According to a press release issued by the Presidency, “given that the pronouncement of a decision by the courts on the legality of Alexandr Stoianoglo’s dismissal from office by the PSC is delayed, the signing of the decree comes in the context of the European Union’s recommendations to ensure the replacement of the post of Prosecutor General and the Republic of Moldova’s obligations to fulfil the conditions of the justice system”.

The suspended Prosecutor General, Alexandr Stoianoglo, was detained on 5 October 2021.

On 8 October 2021, he was placed under house arrest and subsequently under judicial control. No preventive measures are currently applied against Stoianoglo.

Moldova sentenced at the ECtHR in the case of Stoianoglo

Moldova will have to pay former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo €3,600 in moral damages. The European Court of Human Rights ruled on 24 October 2023 that our country had violated Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, which provides for the right of access to a court. The case concerned the Attorney General’s inability to appeal against his suspension, which was triggered by criminal proceedings against him.

The Court drew attention to the fact that procedural safeguards should be implemented to ensure that the suspension mechanism was not used arbitrarily.

“In this regard, the Court also noted the increasing importance attached to procedural fairness in cases involving the dismissal of prosecutors, including the intervention of an independent authority in decisions affecting the appointment and dismissal of prosecutors. The Court found that the applicant was not granted any form of judicial protection in relation to his suspension, which prevented him from exercising his duties and deprived him of his salary for more than two years,” according to the European institution.