Four of the seven Turkish teachers illegally extradited from Moldova in 2018 were released from Turkish prisons
Four of the seven Turkish teachers who were illegally extradited from the Republic of Moldova in 2018 were released from Turkish prisons. This information was revealed during a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
The four teachers released include the financial director and the head of a private high school in Durlești, as well as the director of a high school in the same network in Ceadâr-Lunga. Additionally, the deputy general director of the high school network was also released.
According to the document, these four Turkish citizens are allowed to return to the Republic of Moldova without any restrictions.
European officials have pointed out that five years have passed since Vasile Botnari, the former head of the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), was convicted in the first instance, yet a final decision has not been issued.
Authorities in Chișinău are requested to provide concrete results from the 2022 investigation aimed at identifying all individuals involved in the extradition process, including top officials.
The Committee has repeatedly urged Moldovan authorities to deliver a clear message from the highest political level that unequivocally rejects arbitrary detention and illegal transfers. A response is expected by September 12, 2026.
In 2018, seven employees of a Moldovan-Turkish network of private high schools were detained and deported to Turkey on the same day via a charter flight, being handed directly from the plane to local special services.
In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Moldovan authorities had violated the rights of the Turkish teachers, and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is currently monitoring the implementation of the ECHR decision.
