Members of the unionist platform “Actiunea 2012” expressed their indignation at the fact that on May 13 the platform’s chairman George Simion, who is a Romanian citizen, was declared undesirable in Moldova for a period of five years and was expelled without explanations. The young people describe this fact as abuse on the part of the authorities and consider that this act is aimed at intimidating them before the planned demonstration favor of the Union.
In a news conference at IPN, platform member Claudia Iovita said George Simion was taken from the street by individuals who turned out to be employees of the Security and Intelligence Service. “They invited him to a discussion that lasted for 2 minutes. He was told that he has permitted himself too much lately. What is it ‘too much’? The thousands of books in the Romanian language that George Simion transports over the Prut together with the platform “Actiunea 2012”, the trips to Romania that he organizes for Moldovan children or the articles that George Simion publishes in a national daily?” asked Claudia Iovita.
The young woman said these actions show that the authorities are afraid of the thousands of persons who will take to the streets on May 16. “How can a citizen who helps Moldova the most on its path to the EU be expelled? Or this help is no longer needed as Moldova does not follow the path of European integration anymore? We demand that the ban should be lifted. Otherwise, we will protest daily in front of the responsible institutions,” she stated.
Vlad Biletski, of the OEDIP initiative group, said that this expulsion is closely connected with the large-scale protest that is to be mounted on May 16 and in which about 10,000 people intend to take part. “Those who are in power are probably scared that an increasing number of people reaffirm the Romanian ideal and the wish for these states that are separated by the Prut to be united,” he stated.
The young man added that when George Simion was detained on the pretext of violation of public order, the procedural rules were broken. Under the legislation, a person who is to be expelled must be informed about the reasons and is escorted during 24 hours, time during which this person can take personal belongings and the identification papers. In the case of George Simion, he was escorted immediately.
Anatol Ursu, member of the Civic Movement “Moldova’s Youth”, said these actions of the authorities are designed to intimidate the participants in the planned protests. These actions will not yet stop the young people from demonstrating in the Great National Assembly Square and seeking union with Romania as a solution to the social problems faced by Moldova.
The young people demanded that the competent institutions of Moldova should immediately annul the measure taken against George Simion and called on the Romanian authorities to make approaches to the Moldovan authorities so as to normalize the relations between the two states and to restore the normal exercise of the rights of a Romanian citizen.
