Picket in support of Moldovan political prisoners held at Appeals Court

September 15: At the Appeals Court building in Chisinau, Moldova, where hearings of the “Petrenko Group” were held, a group of civil society activists organized a picket in support of the political prisoners.

 On Wednesday, during a court hearing on the case of the “Petrenko group,” in which it considered the petition of lawyers of ex-deputy Grigory Petrenko and Red Bloc party activist Alexander Roshko to abolish the decision of the lower court, a group of civil society activists organized a picket in support of the political prisoners. 

Recall that Grigory Petrenko, former Member of Parliament, honorary member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and leader of protests against the oligarchs in Moldova, was detained by police for 72 hours on Sunday, September 6, after a protest in front of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the announcement of plans for a peaceful non-stop rally in front of the “prosecutors’ office seized by oligarch [Vlad] Plahotniuc.”

Also on Sunday, September 6, seven people were detained, according to police, including protesters, activists, and former political prisoners of the ruling regime in Moldova Mikhail Amerberg, Pavel Grigorchuk, and Alexander Roshko.

Subsequently, Petrenko was jailed for 30 days, and was charged with “organizing mass disorder.”

Translated by Greg Butterfield