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Moldova’s government expelled three Russian diplomats on Monday, accusing Moscow of orchestrating the escape of a pro-Kremlin lawmaker to prevent him from serving a prison sentence in a case involving illegal political funding, Reuters reported. The expelled diplomats were allegedly involved in helping Alexander Nesterovschii, a member of Moldova’s parliament, evade justice after he was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison, the report stated.
According to the report, the controversy centers on Nesterovschii’s reported involvement in a scandal related to the illegal funnelling of money to a pro-Russian political party, allegedly aimed at influencing local elections in 2023, as well as Moldova’s 2024 presidential vote and a national referendum regarding the country’s EU aspirations. Nesterovschii, who has denied the charges, claims they are politically motivated.
Moldovan president Maia Sandu, meanwhile, has condemned Moscow’s alleged interference, saying such actions undermine Moldova’s sovereignty. “Interference by the Russian Federation with the judicial system of the Republic of Moldova is unacceptable. Imagine that the Republic of Moldova interfered with justice in the Russian Federation,” Sandu told Radio Moldova, according to Reuters.
Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov rejected the accusations, calling them unfounded and unsupported by evidence. However, Moldova’s Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) released a video showing Nesterovschii entering the Russian embassy in Chisinau on March 18, one day before his sentencing. The SIS claimed that Nesterovschii was then driven in a diplomatic vehicle to the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria.
“This type of activity is part of the mechanism of hybrid aggression directed against the Republic of Moldova,” Reuters quoted Alexandru Musteata, director of the SIS, as saying during a briefing. The Moldovan government has repeatedly accused Russia of attempting to destabilise the country and interfere in its political processes, especially as Moldova works toward joining the European Union by 2030.
The case comes on the heels of other high-profile incidents involving alleged Russian interference in Moldova. Just last week, authorities detained Eugenia Gutul, the pro-Russian governor of Moldova’s Gagauzia region, on charges of illegal political funding as she attempted to leave the country. Gutul, who has also denied the charges, claimed the case was politically motivated, the report said.
