Moldova: Freedom of expression and assembly. Possible Prisoners of Conscience

On 5 April parliamentary elections were held in Moldova. According to the official count, the ruling communists won 49.9 per cent of the vote, which gave them a majority of 61 seats in the parliament.

As many as 15,000 people turned up at Great National Assembly square on 7 April and marched from there to the presidential and parliamentary buildings. By midday the demonstrations had turned violent. Following an initially peaceful stand-off between police and protesters on the steps of both buildings, the crowd began to push against the police line. Amnesty International staff witnessed objects being thrown by the crowd at the Presidential Administration building which was being guarded by riot police, including plastic and glass bottles, stones, eggs, bits of pavement and masonry. There are allegations that the violence was provoked by plain-clothed officers in the crowd. Despite a significant presence, riot police eventually retreated completely and demonstrators stormed both buildings. Offices were looted, fires were started and furniture and documents were thrown from windows. Both buildings remained mostly unguarded for the rest of the day.

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