Moldovan journalist and Chisinau Forum organizer Iurie Roșca—who has graced this blog with two thought-provoking interviews (here and here)—has been targeted by farcical legal proceedings that may result in his imprisonment.

Roșca, who led Moldova’s Christian Democratic People’s Party and served as an MP in his nation’s parliament for four terms and held several high-ranking government posts, is accused of “influence peddling”. The alleged misdeed purportedly took place in … 2009, and an investigation was launched in 2017 following an uncorroborated complaint from a single individual.

In a recent social media post, former Moldovan MP Mark Tcaciuk notedthat there were “no witnesses” to support the accusations leveled against Roșca, whom Tcaciuk described as “a politician who entered the history of Moldova a long time ago, an original thinker and a bright, incredibly spiritual commentator.”

Moldovan lawmaker Bogdan Șîrdea released a similar statement, questioning why Roșca was being charged without any real evidence.

“Are there witnesses? No! There is evidence? No! Then what is it? Well, there is a burning desire to convict Iurie Roșca so that he will stop coming out with his criticisms. It is a case that has been dragging on for so long…”

Journalist Valeriu Reniță also commented on the case: “What does the government want from Iurie? The impossible… It wants to shut the journalist’s mouth. And it’s not just the power in Chisinau that wants it. The global elite, who are never spared [in Roșca’s] articles and video posts, are also after him”.

Marvin Atudorei, the moderator of a program on Romania’s Global News television channel, offered an even more blunt assessment:

For several weeks the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova has been carrying out abuse after abuse in order to imprison the renowned writer, journalist, civic activist and former politician Iurie Roșca as soon as possible.

The fact that this is done using a politically fabricated process based on minimal investigation is beyond any doubt. It is a case devoid of any kind of evidence, absurdly constructed from a simple denunciation, in which the rights of the “accused” are completely ignored.

What is really behind these proceedings? After 20 years in which he held first-rank positions in the Republic of Moldova (president of a governing party, vice-prime minister, vice-president of the Parliament) Iurie Roșca began to reveal the truth about the games behind the scenes of power. It is time to say STOP to the repression and defend one of the very few people of great courage who risked his life to wake up and save each of us.

Fifteen years after the “influence peddling” purportedly took place, and seven years after the legal complaint was filed against Roșca, next week a judge will issue a ruling on the case.

It is purely coincidental that Roșca, an outspoken critic of the Moldovan government, might be put behind bars on dubious charges just a few months before his country’s presidential elections in October.

Roșca shared an update about his trial on July 11:

Dear friends, 

I would like to inform you about my situation as a defendant in a criminal case, which was initiated under the former criminal government (under the conditions of usurpation of state power) in 2017 and is being completed under another government, consisting totally of mercenaries of the Soros network.
The court hearings ended on July 8.  I experienced abusive and illegal treatment from the judge. All procedural norms and any right to defense are violated. All our approaches to challenge the judge or to move the examination of the case to another court of equal rank are rejected.

 On July 23, the sentence of conviction is to be pronounced. The risk is up to 7 years imprisonment. 

Thank you for your cooperation and support. I assure you that if I am incarcerated, I will continue to write from prison. Of course, if I’m allowed to have paper and pen.

I assure you that my colleagues will continue to publish the speeches of the participants at Chisinau Forum 2024 twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If I manage to remain at liberty, I will try to organize another edition of the Chisinau Forum this autumn. 

God bless you all.
Sincerely yours,
Yuri

Not good.

It’s not too late to write to Moldova’s government and express your dissatisfaction:

Presidential office: To: Maia Sandu, President of Moldova

cancelaria@prm.md, petitii@prm.md, presa@prm.md

Members of Parliament: Chairman – Igor Grosu

info@parlament.md, doina.gherman@parlament.md,  igor.grosu@parlament.md,  fpas@parlament.md,

Prime-Minister – Dorin Recean: 

 cancelaria@gov.md, petitii@gov.md

Ministry of Justice, Minister –  VERONICA MIHAILOV-MORARU:

secretariat@justice.gov.md,  petitii@justice.gov.md

Prosecutor general – Ion Munteanu:

proc-gen@procuratura.md,  presapg@procuratura.md

Superior Council of Magistracy: 

petitie@csm.md,  secretariat@csm.md

You can also follow Iurie on Substack and Telegram.

Iurie’s Substack My personal Substack By Iurie Rosca

Please do what you can to spread awareness about Iurie’s case, and let’s hope that sanity will prevail on July 23.