Mayor of Corjova arrested by Transnistrian separatists, Moldovan flag desecrated
Chișinău/ Moldova.ORG / -- This morning in Corjova, a village on the left bank of Nistru subordinated to Moldova's central authorities but claimed by Tiraspol separatists, a meeting took place at church, commemorating victims who died during the Transnistrian War of 1992.
During the memorial service, militsian cars surrounded people who were waiting to walk to the cemetery. Right after Corjova’s mayor, Valeriu Mâțu finished his speech, and people walked out the church, more than 30 militsians, only a few of whom were wearing uniforms, came over and forced him and a local counselor, Iurie Coţofan, who was holding a tricolor to enter the car. They took the flag and threw it on the ground screaming that it is illegal to hold the Moldavian flag on Transnistria’s territory. It seems that this is the only reason of the arrest.
“We already informed the OSCE Mission from Moldova and we will do everything possible to release Valeriu Mâțu and Iurie Coțofan. At the moment in Corjova there are some OSCE Mission delegates who work hard on solving the problem. After one hour we don’t know anything about the mayor and the local counselor and everybody is indignant,” reported George Bălan, chief of the Reintegration Bureau within Moldova’s Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry.
The incident happened at the same time when Moldovan officials were commemorating Transnistrian conflict victims in Chisinau, after 19 years since the beginning of the military conflict.
Victims’ family members along with former moldavian combatants were participating at a peaceful meeting dedicated to the commemoration of the transnistrian war victims.
Undoubtedly, this isn’t the only case of human rights violation on the left side of the Nistru river. People can’t defend even their elementary rights, like freedom of expression and the right to meet. Now they speak their native language at a low tone and are permanently afraid about being heard. It seems that the separatist regime threatens the national identity as well, even children in school being taught (in russian) a false history.
Last autumn the journalist Ernest Vardanean was arrested under the pretext of betrayal and espionage in Chisinau’s favor and his case is being investigated without any legal assistance from his part until now.
These illegitimacies against humanity are a convincing proof for international organizations to take action in an immediate solving of the Transnistrian conflict or at least of the human rights violation.
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