Activist Anatol Matasaru detained for “harassing” judge; lawyer calls it disproportionate
Civic activist Anatol Mătăsaru was detained for 72 hours by police in Hâncești after allegedly traveling to the locality of Sărata Galbenă to gather information for an investigation into the property of judge Ana Cucerescu. While law enforcement officials claim that Mătăsaru is being investigated for harassment, representatives from civil society deem his detention "disproportionate" and caution that it poses risks to the ability to document matters of public interest.
According to official information, Mătăsaru was detained on Sunday, April 5, in the area of the Sărata Galbenă locality, and escorted to the Hâncești Police Inspectorate. The measure was applied based on the article of the Criminal Code that sanctions harassment, and the action was coordinated with prosecutors.
The intervention was determined by the activist's behavior near the magistrate who filed the complaint, law enforcement officials say.
"The targeted person was repeatedly observed in its vicinity, displaying stalking and harassing behavior in connection with his professional activity. This is documented through the lens of article 169¹ regarding the systematic persecution of a person who was caused a state of anxiety, fear for his own safety or that of his close relatives, being forced to change his lifestyle, committed by surveillance of the person's home, workplace or other places frequented by him", informs the Hâncești Police Inspectorate.
The institution claims that the activist's movements have repeatedly coincided with those of the magistrate.
"Following preliminary measures, it was established that yesterday (April 5 - editor's note), around 08:00, when leaving Chisinau, shortly after the judge's departure, Anatol Mătăsaru's car was spotted. When the judge changed the route in the direction of a holy place, Anatol Mătăsaru returned to the capital. Around 10:00, when the judge left the location, towards Hânceşti, Anatol Mătăsaru repeatedly left Chisinau in the direction of Hânceşti," the Hânceşti Police Inspectorate announced.
Law enforcement officials claim that investigations are ongoing and that the necessary evidence is being collected to clarify the circumstances.
Mătăsaru's wife: "We are verifying information of public interest"
The activist's wife, journalist Julieta Savițchi, rejects the authorities' accusations and states that Anatol Mătăsaru's trip to Sărata Galbenă was for professional purposes, in the context of verifying information from the statement of property of magistrate Ana Cucerescu.
"We wanted to verify if everything corresponds, is it true, who the parents are. Anatol only passed by the judge's house, just as she was entering the gate. The only communication was that he said 'hello', they didn't even stop the car, they just kept going", said Savițchi.
She believes that the police intervention questions the impact on journalistic activity.
“How can we verify the integrity of a public official, if journalists are detained by the police and handcuffed? It was not a serious crime, no one’s home was violated. We simply tried to verify some information,” added Savițchi, in a video post published on social media shortly after Mătăsaru’s detention.
“Dangerous precedent for journalism”
The detention of Anatol Mătăsaru was also criticized by Promo-LEX lawyer Vadim Vieru, who draws attention to the broader implications of such a case.
“Considering the information available so far, including the police statement, I consider this detention to be disproportionate and unjustified. According to the police's logic, any journalist or person who documents certain topics could be detained simply for trying to investigate. It is an approach that can become dangerous,” the lawyer told Teleradio-Moldova.
According to Vieru, the situation could set a precedent that discourages documenting topics of public interest, especially when they involve people in important positions.
We remind you that Ana Cucerescu is one of the magistrates involved in several high-profile cases in the Republic of Moldova. She works at the Chisinau Court and came to public attention after pronouncing sentences in corruption and illegal party financing cases.
Among the most famous cases are the sentencing of the Gagauzia bashkan, Evghenia Guțul, to seven years in prison, and the six-year sentence imposed on former politician Iurie Roșca for influence peddling.
The magistrate is also part of the panel examining the “Bank Fraud” case, which targets former Democratic Party leader Vladimir Plahotniuc.
In the context of the Guțul case, the authorities announced that the magistrate had been subjected to pressure and threats, including before pronouncing the sentence, cases investigated by the police.
Recently, Ana Cucerescu passed the external evaluation (vetting), the Evaluation Commission finding that there are no doubts regarding her financial or ethical integrity, and her candidacy for the Supreme Court of Justice is to be examined by the Superior Council of Magistracy.
Anatol Mătăsaru is a civic activist known in the Republic of Moldova for his unconventional and often provocative protests, through which he criticized corruption and the activity of law enforcement institutions. Over the years, he has organized symbolic actions in front of the Prosecutor's Office, the National Anticorruption Center or other institutions, some of which generated controversies and sanctions. Mătăsaru has been detained several times in the last 15 years, and in some cases he has won his case at the European Court of Human Rights, which found a violation of the right to freedom of expression and liberty.
