Moldovan Delegation to OSCE Calls for Liberation of Ernest Vardanyan

Permanent delegation of the Republic of Moldova to the OSCE addressed statement to the OSCE Permanent Council Chairman during a council meeting in relation of the Armenian national journalist Ernest Vardanyan.

The authors of the statement thanked the "delegation of the United States for bringing to attention of the permanent council this worrying case, as well as the European Union for its supportive statement.

"We also thank the OSCE mission to Moldova for issuing a spot report on the recent arrests in the Transnistrian region. The Moldovan authorities are deeply concerned about the fate of the journalist Ernest Vardanyan, who is a citizen of the Republic of Moldova. On the 7th April he was arrested on false charges of "espionage and high treason." This kind of persecution of a journalist, which strives to reflect the situation in the region in an objective manner, has no precedent.

"More than that, in recent weeks the de facto Tiraspol authorities have intimidated and brought false accusations of high treason against a number of civil society representatives. A member of local staff of the OSCE mission has been also put under pressure. We regret very much these cases," reads the statement.

Further it says that the Moldovan Government is concerned about the "continuing violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and in particular of the universal humanitarian conventions in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova."

"Such counterproductive steps are undermining the efforts aimed at the re-establishing trust and confidence which are key prerequisites for resolving the problems of local population. These unfortunate developments are also harming the constructive endeavors undertaken by international partners - participants to the 5+2 process. We call on all member states to join the efforts of the Moldova authorities in this regard," reads the statement.

Vardanyan was arrested near his home in Tiraspol on April 7 allegedly by the Transdniestrian state secrete services. He is accused of high treason and according to Article 271 of the Transdniestrian Criminal Code he can face 12-20 years in prison.