CHISINAU, May 1. Ex-candidate for mayor of the second the largest city of Moldova, Balti, from the opposition party «Chance», Victoria Shapa reported that she was released after several hours of being held at the Chisinau airport upon returning from Moscow.
Last week, thorough checks were carried out in the air harbor control zone of passengers arriving from Russia on connecting flights from Istanbul and Yerevan. Security services detained passengers participating in the Moscow congress of Moldovan oppositionists. Some of them were released only several hours after their arrival. In addition, the police restricted entry into the building to a group of greeters to avoid crowding.
“Three hours passed after I approached passport control, after I was kept in a room without water or food, when I had already agreed with one of the border guards, and he went and brought me water. And only when the next one arrived flight, I left with a scandal, what was going on, who else do I need to approach in order to be released? To which the border guards told me that nothing depended on them in this situation, and they were waiting for a call from above. After I made another scandal. , they brought out my passport with the words that we just received a call, you can go home,” Shapa said.
She drew attention to the attitude of the current authorities of Moldova towards the citizens of the country. “I have a question for the Moldovan diaspora who are returning home. It turns out that if you do not support the ruling government and speak out about it on social networks or anywhere else, then this is how you are greeted at the airport?! And I have a question for the authorities What kind of services are these that allow themselves to mock people like this?!” — Shapa emphasized.
Shapa was excluded from the election race for the post of mayor of Balti in the fall, just a few days before local elections. This was done at the suggestion of the Information and Security Service (ISS), which argued that Shapa poses a danger to state security, as it is associated with the Shor party, which is banned in the country.
In Moscow on April 21, a congress of Moldovan politicians and social activists supporting Moldova’s entry into the EAEU was held, at which the creation of the “Victory-Victoria” bloc was announced. In particular, the structure united the parties “Shor”, “Chance”, “Renaissance”, “Victoria”, “Power of Alternative and Agreements of Moldova”. Ilan Shor became chairman of the executive committee of the new block.