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On 26^th September 2022, the so-called “Tiraspol city court” sentenced Victor Plescanov to three years and two months’ imprisonment for “incitement to extremism”. This is a 58-year-old civic activist from the Transnistrian region, who in recent years has always had a speech and a critical position against the abuses committed in the Transnistrian region[1]. Once with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24^th February 2022, he criticized the abuses committed by the Russian army, including the illegality of its deployment in the Transnistrian region.

On 10^th June 2022, he was deprived of liberty for 5 days for “hooliganism”. The ground for the “conviction” was that, while in a fabric store in the city of Tiraspol, he said that he was going to hang the flag of Ukraine on the balcony and insulted the so-called Ministry of State Security in Tiraspol. During the deprivation of liberty, his home was searched by the local security structures, and several goods, including his personal computer, were illegally seized. His wife being verbally informed that a “criminal case” has been opened against Victor for “incitement to extremism through the Internet and mass media”.[2]

On 15^th June 2022, Victor was still not released from detention. His wife later found out that another measure was applied to him – “pre-trial detention”, which was later extended.

On 26^th September 2022, in a closed session, the “Tiraspol city court” “sentenced” Victor Pleșcanov to 3 years and 2 months of imprisonment for “inciting extremism”. The sentence to be served in a colony – prison with an open sentence execution regime. Until now, Victor is detained in the so-called pre-trial detention facility no. 3 from the city of Tiraspol.

Despite the efforts made, almost 4 months since the deprivation of liberty, his wife does not have access to the materials of the case, including from the so-called delegated lawyer, the documents of the case being considered secret. At the same time, the activist’s wife had only one meeting with Victor, and she does not know what her husband’s health is at the time. Even if she filed an appeal against the “sentence of conviction”, the wife does not believe that it will have any effect on the punishment imposed.

This June, the constitutional authorities in Chisinau asked Tiraspol[3] to stop the “persecution and intimidation” of Victor Plescanov. Apparently, this reaction was not enough. Unfortunately, we note that the cases of “conviction” of the inhabitants of the left side of the Dniester for acts of “incitement to extremism” or other similar acts are happening more and more often, and the victims of this phenomenon have no possibility to defend their rights. We recall the cases of Mihail Ermurachi, Ghenadie Ciorba, Alexandr Samonii, Pavel Dogari, Larisa Kalik, Boris Babaian and others. The persecutions that were “legalized” by Vadim Krasnoselskii with the approval in March 2020 of the so-called “Strategy to combat extremism in the Transnistrian region”.

In this context, the Promo-LEX Association reiterates previous calls and REPEATEDLY REQUESTS the full involvement of the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, but also of international organizations and diplomatic missions to carefully monitor the situation of freedom of expression in the Transnistrian region. We also request prompt efforts for the unconditional release of Victor Plescanov and the application of protective measures regarding his family.

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[1] https://zonadesecuritate.md/un-batran-din-tiraspol-lupta-pentru-libertate-a-atentat-la-ce-i-mai-sfant-pentru-regim-trupele-ruse-presedintele-si-pseudo-tara/

[2] https://newsmaker.md/rus/novosti/mgb-mozhet-obostsya-vpridnestrove-zaveli-delo-obekstremizme-posle-intsidenta-sflagom-ukrainy-vmagazine-tkanej/

[3] https://newsmaker.md/rus/novosti/kishinev-prizval-tiraspol-otkazatsya-ot-presledovaniya-i-zapugivaniya-arestovannogo-za-oskorblenie-mgb/