Moldova’s pro-Russian president and local human rights groups are arguing over Thursday’s detention of a number of Turkish nationals, allegedly linked to the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Human rights organisations in Moldova, the Center for Legal Resources of Moldova and Promo-LEX human rights association, on Thursday issued a joint declaration, protesting over the rights violations of seven detained Turkish nationals who it is suspected will be deported to Turkey.
The Turkish nationals worked for a schools network linked to exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government calls a terrorist and blames for the failed 2016 coup in Turkey.
“The expulsion of these people to Turkey poses an imminent danger to their life and security and also the risk of not receiving a fair trial,” they wrote in the letter.
A pro-European deputy in parliament, Valeriu Ghiletchi, demanded more explanations from the country’s intelligence agency, the SIS, on this case.
“The expulsion of the seven Turkish citizens raises several questions, and such decisions must be based on clear evidence, not just suspicions,” the MP stated.
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Nicolae Esanu, said the consequences of this action were a cause for concern.
“I hope there are solid documents in the SIS dossiers justifying the expulsion of the Turkish citizens because … we can only avoid a conviction from the ECHR if those expelled do not sue us,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Moldovan intelligence service, SIS, on Thursday issued a press release stating that its officers had detained seven Turkish citizens allegedly involved in “threats to national security”.
The SIS insisted that it only expelled the citizens, and did not detain them, but without adding any specific details about where they were being held and when they would expel them.
Moldova’s authorities have been accused of breaking the human rights and democratic standards.
The director of a Chisinau-based think thank, IDIS Viitorul, Igor Munteanu, told the news portal cotidianul.md that the SIS had not explained why a private educational chain close to the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen was deemed a terrorist organisation that allegedly threatened the national security of Moldova.
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