The transfer of files from the store of the Security and Information Service (SIS) to the National Archive of Moldova should produce a real change in the view on the people’s rights and the unlimited access to information and the historical truth, the head of the commission for studying and assessing the totalitarian Communist regime in Moldova Gheorghe Cojocaru told Radio Free Europe in an interview, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. Gheorghe Cojocaru said the ensuring of free access to the files of the victims of this regime, which were secret until recently, is an initiative that started to produce results at social and academic levels. According to the historian, this first transfer of files from the SIS store shows the Service is detaching itself univocally and resolutely from the former KGB and is ready to serve the interests of the people and democracy. “It is an unprecedented event in the history of Moldova’s secret services and in the history of the whole society. It undoubtedly represents a significant historical moment,” Gheorghe Cojocaru said. He also said that it would have been better if the Government had created a special institution or archive that would have supervised these files. But the solution to store the files at the National Archive is also not bad. Gheorghe Cojocaru is sure that no democratic political party that will come to power would afford to stop the opening of archives. “The archives will have to be opened, no matter what political forces govern the country after November 28. The parties’ attitude to this issue will show their real face and how they consider the human rights and fundamental freedoms should be respected in Moldova,” the historian said. The first 5,000 files on persons subjected to political repression during 1920-1951 have been moved from the special store of the Security and Information Service (SIS) to the National Archive. Acting President Mihai Ghimpu said such a move was needed as the number of files decreases every year. About 16,000 cases and over 14,000 card indexes have been destroyed since 1990. Another about 130,000 files will be moved to the National Archive from the special stores of the Ministry of the Interior in about a week. The SIS store includes approximately 80,000 files classified into five categories. About 31,600 persons had been convicted in cases centering on political matters. Over 5,000 of them had been sentenced to death, while another 3,000 died in jails and remand centers. As many as 28,400 repressed persons have been rehabilitated so far.