The Chisinau Appeals Court on May 10 dismissed as groundless the appeal filed by lawyer Andrei Bivol, who requested to annul President Igor Dodon’s decree to withdraw the Moldovan nationality of the ex-President of Romania Traian Basescu. The Court upheld the judgment of the first court that was passed at the end of this January, IPN reports.

The lawyer for the plaintiff Maxim Lebedinschi said the judges of the Appeals Court confirmed that Traian Basescu consciously didn’t inform the Moldovan authorities about the fact that he was being prosecuted when he filed the application for nationality. Therefore, President Igor Dodon issued the decree to withdraw the nationality. “The prosecution is a categorical and imperative ban stipulated by the law, which prevents anyone from obtaining Moldovan nationality. The decision is not based on political aspects, as it is rumored,” stated Maxim Lebedinschi.

Andrei Bivol, lawyer for Traian Basescu, said the ex-President of Romania was granted Moldovan nationality in exceptional conditions, for special merits towards the Republic of Moldova. In such a case, the law does not oblige to present relevant acts. President Dodon could withdraw the nationality only if a relevant proposal was formulated by the law enforcement agencies. “In our situation, it is an inverse game. Immediately after taking office, President Dodon requested the competent bodies to formulate proposals for withdrawing the nationality,” stated Andrei Bivol.

The Chisinau Appeals Court’s judgment can be challenged in the Supreme Court of Juristic within 60 days.