Representatives of “Together” electoral bloc accuse the police of illegally kidnapping and threatening three volunteers who were carrying out campaign activities for Octavian Țîcu on Friday morning. In a press release, they said that the volunteers were sticking electoral posters on an authorized billboard of the Chisinau City Hall, in Buiucani district. The way in which the police officers acted is regarded as abuse against and intimidation of election contestants, IPN reports.

According to “Together” Bloc, everything happened at around 05:00 a.m., when without any legal reason, the police humiliated, intimidated and threatened the volunteers who were campaigning. These were taken to the police station to write explanations. “The young people were held there for about three hours and were forced to write an application by which they voluntarily yielded ten electoral posters, on the grounds that the police need all ten posters to describe the poster in the documents. Moreover, the volunteers were not offered any physical documents as proof of their detention. On the way out, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs threatened them with repeated detention if they continued to place posters on authorized billboards. The young people intended to continue their electoral activities, but the police threatened them that if they were caught again, they would be taken back to the police station, where they would stay for another three hours and would have to provide explanations again,” reads the party’s statement.

The press service of the General Police Inspectorate did not answer the phone to comment on the allegations.