The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR continues to receive from the media, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Pridnestrovie, human rights organizations and individual representatives of the civil society of Pridnestrovie, as well as agencies of the United Nations regarding the situation with the detention of officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the PMR Maksim Kuzmichev in the Hellenic Republic.
We remind that the Pridnestrovian militiaman was detained at the airport in Athens on 20 July 2015 in connection with a politically motivated criminal case initiated against him in the Republic of Moldova and putting him on the international wanted list.
The Press Service of the Foreign Ministry of the PMR notes that at the initiative of the Pridnestrovian side this problem was discussed by the representatives on political issues during today's meeting in Tiraspol. It is to be noted with regret that the Moldovan side through representative on political issues Victor Osipov, formally authorized to develop solutions to the entire set of current problems existing in the dialogue between the parties, continues to evade assisting in the liberation of the Pridnestrovian militiaman. During the meeting the Pridnestrovian side addressed Moldovan colleagues a request to withdraw the warrant sent by Moldova to the international police agencies (Interpol) for the arrest of Maksim Kuzmichev, as well as of other officials of Pridnestrovie criminally prosecuted in Moldova.
Victor Osipov stated that the Moldovan side is not ready to recall the request to the address of Interpol. At the same time, in fact, Moldova’s political representative evaded assisting in resolving the issue, pleading his lack of corresponding rights and authority.
Press Service of the Foreign Ministry of Pridnestrovie believes that the initiation of politically motivated criminal cases is the practice that is not compatible with current methods of negotiation generally accepted in the XXI century. We see in the Moldovan side’s actions an objective to put pressure and use discriminatory instruments in the dialogue through the threat, which is being put into practice, that Pridnestrovian officials carrying out their functions within the limits of legislation of the PMR may become political prisoners at any time. This destructive approach of the Republic of Moldova radically violates the fundamental principle of the settlement of Moldova-Pridnestrovie conflict, which consists in exercising an independent administrative or other jurisdiction by the parties in the controlled territory. This demonstrates the intention of Moldovan structures to provoke deterioration in the dialogue between the parties and, unfortunately, is in line with the overall logic of the position of the RM on the whole array of bilateral relations. It should be reminded that the Republic of Moldova in its aggressive steps goes not only beyond politically motivated prosecution of Pridnestrovians, but also uses other repressive measures aimed at information, economic and diplomatic isolation of the PMR, including the imposition of knowingly unfavourable formats of trade cooperation, the deportation of citizens, journalists and official delegations, infringement of the right to freedom of movement of Pridnestrovians.
The Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR has to acknowledge that today Moldova has filled up the tools of pressure on Pridnestrovie with a method which was widely used by the leadership of the Republic of Moldova during the strong-arm phase of the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian conflict - political detention of Pridnestrovian officials, what has happened with the Pridnestrovian police officer M. Kuzmichev. It should also be noted that the Pridnestrovian side repeatedly voiced concerns about such a genesis of the problems of politically motivated criminal cases during the dialogue with the Moldovan counterparts, as well as through contacts with international partners in 2014, and representatives of Moldova responded with enviable constancy by saying that the initiation of criminal cases against Pridnestrovian officials would not turn out to be a real detention of their defendants. This fact allows to restate that the Moldovan side shows once again that it is unfair, inconsistent and irresponsible party to talks towards Pridnestrovie and equally to all participants in the “5+2” format.
This approach of the Moldovan side provokes deterioration in the dialogue, leads to the destabilization of the negotiation process and infringement of the inalienable universal rights of citizens.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PMR calls on all participants in the negotiating process in the 5+2 format to use available to them mechanisms and instruments to reduce tensions in the negotiating process, promoting required solutions to the existing issues and return of the Moldovan side in the direction of constructive, appropriate, and result-oriented dialogue.
