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The Moldovan Prosecutor General’s Office has started a criminal action into the illicit detention of Corjova Village Mayor Valeriu Mitcul and members of the Village Council Iurie Cotofana and Ilie Coica by the Transnistrian law enforcement.

The Office has reported that the incident took place at half past eleven today at the entry to the village church during the divine service held in commemoration for Transnistrian armed conflict victims.

The Transnistrian militiamen, led by the Chief of the Dubasari Raion militia subdivision, explained the detention reason as follows: in the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic’s territory, the hoisting of the national flag of the Republic of Moldova is prohibited by law.

According to Ion Manole, Chairman of the Promo-Lex Association, the Transnistrian officers forced the Moldovan flag out from the mayor’s hands and tore it into pieces before the shocked crowd of local residents. The detainees were delivered to Dubossary and locked up in the raion militia station, with their mobile phones taken away from them.

Accordingly, the Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated the criminal proceedings on suspicion of kidnapping of people, violation of the right of expression, and misappropriation of the title.

Moldova’s Acting President Marian Lupu called the Corjova incident a provocation and voiced regret that it happened on such a special day. Prime Minister Vladimir Filat called upon all the participants in the 5+2 format negotiations to immediately interfere and promote the detainees’ release. And Moldova’s Political Representative at the Transnistria negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Affairs Eugen Carpov stated that the incident is inflicting a serious damage to the Transnistria settlement process.

As Infotag has already reported, conflicts between Chisinau and Tiraspol take place in Corjova much often than in any other locality, and this is particularly so before and during elections in Moldova. The Transnistrian law enforcement invariably prohibit the opening of a polling station in the village, and have many a time upset the voting process there – by simply occupying the station building.

The thing is, the status of Corjova has been an apple of discord between the central Moldova authorities and the Transnistrian region administration yet since the 1992 armed conflict. Tiraspol maintains that “Korzhevo” is a suburban residential community of the Transnistrian town of “Dubossary” – like this had been for decades yet in the Soviet epoch. But the central Moldovan Government claims “Corjova” is a separate village under the official Chisinau’s jurisdiction since the armed conflict completion.

Perhaps, one who is interested in resolving this bitter dispute the most is former Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, who was born and raised in that village, where his parental house still exists, in which his old mother had lived until her death in 2007.

Source: Azi.md