The political activist Ivan Burgudji has adressed to civil society a pettition concernig violaton his rights

To whom it may concern:

Mrs. Miahela Onofrei, the publisher of the blog www.transnistria.imagine-romania.ro

The undersigned, Burgudji, Ivan Gheorghievich, born at January 13th, 1953, with residency in Moldavian Republic, Autonomous Region of Gagauzia, Comrat city, Gogol Street, 41, flat 33, wish to inform you on the followings:

At 27.11.2008, the Ministry of the Internal Affair in Republic Moldavia, state that Police found out a huge number of various weapons in a garage that is supposed to be owned by me. Accorded to other details stated by the police officers I was alleged to be the leader of a criminal group, having some terrorist activities”. The information was widespread in mass media from Republic Moldavia, and this feigns my dignity and brings me an offence. More than that, when they suppose to search my garage, the police officers broke my flat and, under color of searching, destroyed everything - the furniture, plumbing, even the wall paper.

Please note that at the moment of sighing, as well as at the moment of spreading the information that I mentioned before, I was in Moscow, in a hospital, in order to recover my health, after the last staying in prison, between December 17th 2006 and January 31th 2008, as my health was affected after ill-treatment in prison. Please also note that after the announcement of the Police I suffered a shock which significantly affected my health. Regarding to the accusations against me, I fully plead not guilty.

I defend myself with the followings:

- in the last 13 years I did not used the garage, in that the Moldavian Police is alleged to finding out the weapons. As a matter of fact, in this period I was practically deported from the Autonomous region of Gagauzia, where is located Comrat city, after permanent pressures exerted by the Moldavian authorities.

In the same garage, in which the Police officers pretend to found out that weapons were four else searching before these one. These searching occurred at my former arresting

- the Police officers, namely the chief of the Operative Department, Ghenadie Cosovan, at this time the deputy of the Minister of Internal Affairs, asserted that the weapons were brought in 2005. There also was statement about the existence, in the same place with the weapons, as in my garage, of a significant bulk of exposable which was brought from Moldavia. Asserting these, the Police officers did not take in account that in 2005 I was in prison, so I was unable to deal this.

- even if all these are not took in account, it is obviously that the garage in which the Police officers are supposing to found out the weapons, cannot be used for any secret activities. The garage is located behind a block of flats, between a house and a row of other garages, so every time someone is around.

- The fact that the garage was not used long time, is visible, as the bolt is rusted off. Obviously, the Police officers opened the door with key, not by force.

- that was supposed to be a search of the Moldavian Police, devolved under a completely luck of procedure: the Governor of Gagauzia was not informed, as a matter of fact anyone from the administration of the Autonomous region of Gagauzia was not informed, the search devolved without witnesses, and is improbable that the Policemen had a warrant. The policemen that performed searching were also from other jurisdiction (from Chisinau, the capital of the Moldoavian Republic), not from Autonomous Region of Gagauzia.

- After this completely secret searching, the Administration of the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia, was still not informed on the results. There wasn’t, for instance, shared information on the number of weapon found out by the Police. Even the Governor of the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia express some doubt on this matter, and stated that if he received the information about the series of the weapons, he can addressed to the plant that is supposed to produced the weapons in order to clarify this case.

- in the pictures, showed on TV after searching, are presented light bulletproof vest, produced in 2000 - 2005, that could be found in the region just at the beginning of 2008 so they cannot be found in some kind of “weapon store”, made in 2005, in which the most part of weapons has been produced at the beginning of ‘90. Near that weapons, has also been found some electoral matter owned by the Peasant Moldavian Party with the purpose to make a connection between what was suppose to be my criminal activities and the political activity of Mr. Andronic, with apparent goal to compromise one of the political leaders of opposition in Republic of Moldavia.

- The Governor of the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia, Mr. Mihail Makarovich Formuzal asserted on the case: “I think that the same bag with weapons walk around Gagauzia”, as in the case were not provided definite information.

- That should to be a “special operation” was developed completely atypical and inefficient, in a full disparity with de aims of such an action. You shouldn’t be expert in the national security in order to know that, when one of the internal security agencies has some suspicions connected with possible terrorist activity, the officers have to settled up surveillance equipment and 24 hours a day stakeout of the location where are supposed to take place that terrorist activities. Sometimes is also possible to stakeout even the individuals that are supposed to be involved in that activities, in order to collect information on their activities and, when is possible, to obtain some evidences in the case. But the main purposes are to neutralize the terrorist cell and to arrest all members of the group. In this case, some information of “a list with members of the terrorist group” were provided by the law-enforcement agencies, but nor a single suspect was arrested. Further, I was the single person that has seriously charged and insulted in fully violation of human right, presumption of innocence and even the most elementary rules of law.

On the context in which has come the announcement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs about that special operation in my garage and the tracking down of weapons there, I state:

- In the last 15 years I was ceaselessly the target of the pressure of Moldavian authorities, because of my political opinions that I openly expressed. In these years I was nine times arrested and I stayed in prison 10 years.

- Standing, the authorities from Republic of Moldavia had tried to show my political activity and my activity as defender of human rights as some actions against the law.

- The announcement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the tracking down of weapons in my garage has been preceded by an address of the Moldavian MAI to the Governor of the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia; the Governor was asked to provide some details on my duties in ‘90ths, in order to set-up a file against me. In that case I was charged by the crimes on the person; the complainant in that file was Mr. Cazangiu Ion. On this facts I can base the assmuption that the representatives of the law-enforcement agencies have tried hard “to find something”, in order to charge me, close to election.

- The announcement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the tracking down of weapons in my garage has coincided with exposing of the other case connected with the national security. This was alleged to be a conspiracy for the vice-president of the Moldavian Parliament’s assassination. Many analysts and experts in the national security expressed serious doubts on that case; some of them asserted that it might be a frame-up. It is enough to mention in that case the Moldavian intelligence services provided to press information on the phone number of the alleged killer. The fully exposing of a telephone tape recording is unprecedented practice of any intelligence agency. The analysts are asserting that this case is also connected with election campaign in Republic of Moldavia. On these facts I do base the assumption that it is a modus operandi of the law-enforcement agencies form Republic of Moldavia setting-up of criminal cases to the leaders of the opposition. I also assume that this happens in order to some representatives of these intelligence agencies judgment less fulfill the orders of some politicians, such as wisdom less as their military subordinates.

On my own case, I have seriously reasons to be frightened by setting-up of a criminal case against me, with the purpose to be putted behind bars.

I also have serious reason to be frightened by the violation of my constitutional rights, other similar violations have occurred every time at my precedent arresting. For this reason I have not any information on the judicial course of my case. Moreover, I don’t know if the authorities officially charged me and what are this charged, in case they exist.

Still, I have strong reason to be frightened for my own security. As the Moldavian intelligence agencies, such roughly settled-up a terrorist case against me, it might significant that in the Republic of Moldavia the rule of law are not effective and I am afraid that any kind of action against me is possible, including elimination. Anyway, on my past periods of detention I was the subject of ill-treatments an threatened with dead.

On these all reasons:

I ask you to proceed on the monitoring of my case, in connection with human right violation by the Moldavian authorities.

Please, provide me all possible support for clarifying of my legal situation, for my exoneration and for my own protection, as well as, for the protection of my family.

Thank you for paying attention on this case.

Ivan Burgudji