The Chisinau City Hall is protesting against the Centru District Court's decision to acquit the former Chisinau police chief Vladimir Botnari and ex-Interior Minister Gheorghe Papuc, it said in a press release. According to the City Hall, this decision demonstrates that the judiciary still remains under political control. “The failure to recognize the perpetration of crime in general, the failure to admit the torture committed during three weeks in police stations, when even international organizations demanded the discontinuation of persecutions – is evidence of guilt.” The City Hall noted that there were young people who won cases at the European Court of Human Rights, which recognized them as victims of government abuse on 7 April 2009. “Therefore, if there are victims, there also must be perpetrators.” The City Hall expressed its deep concern, noting that such decisions could get society used with government impunity. The Chisinau Mayor's office further states that such an approach to handling the “most serious crime committed during protests strongly affect the authority of the state” and requests relevant authority to verify the integrity of judges and intervene to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.