EU foreign ministers on July 15 are expected to rubber stamp an agreement to impose sanctions on people and entities the bloc deems guilty of “actions destabilizing" Moldova, where Russia still wields massive influence and maintains more than 1,000 troops in the separatist Transdniester region.
The sanctions regime was first adopted in 2023 in an attempt to protect Chisinau from Moscow-backed attempts to wrestle back political control over the country.
So far, 16 people and two organizations are blacklisted, most notably the fugitive oligarchs Vlad Plahotniuc and Ilan Shor, both of whom fled Moldova.
The proposed new batch of listings, seen by RFE/RL, consists of seven individuals and three entities -- all in one way or another linked to Shor.
The Russia-based Shor, whom the Moldovan police believe was responsible for a vote-buying scheme last year that nearly swung the referendum on future EU membership in the Eastern European republic, was a key figure in bank fraud scandal a decade ago in which close to $1 billion was transferred out of Moldovan banks for loans that remained unpaid.
Shor’s political party SOR was outlawed in 2023, but a year later he launched a new political bloc from Moscow called Victory/Pobeda, which is one of the three entities proposed for sanctioning by the EU.
The official sanction text notes that “the Victory/Pobeda Political Bloc is involved in spreading false information and in vote-buying schemes” during both the referendum last year and the presidential election that returned the pro-EU President Maia Sandu to office.
Shor’s company A7 is also listed.
Described by Brussels as a firm “established by Ilan Shor, together with multiple financial companies in Moscow, partnering with Russian state entities” it stands accused of being the vehicle used by him to buy votes.
Cross-Border Financial Transfers
A7 has also been accused of helping facilitate cross-border financial transfers for Russian clients in the face of Western sanctions.
The third entity on the list is the “Cultural Educational Centre of Moldova” which according to the EU was distributing free vouchers to voters transported to a Moscow polling station, “while simultaneously promoting the ‘Card of the Citizen of the Republic of Moldova' in the Russian Federation’ propaganda program.”
This was, according to the bloc, another activity that Shor and his associates were behind.
Individuals on the list also appear to be linked to Shor.
Alexandru Beșchieru is the leader of the Forța de Alternativă și de Salvare a Moldovei (Alternative and Salvation Force of Moldova) political party, which is one of the successors of the SOR party and now finds itself under the umbrella of the Victory/Pobeda political bloc.
Victoria Furtuna, the leader of the Moldova Mare (Greater Moldova) party, is another who allegedly has benefited from Shor’s patronage.
Moldovan members of parliament Alexandr Nesterovschi and Irina Lozovan, both of the Renastere (Revival) party which is perceived to be yet another successor of the SOR party, are also proposed for blacklisting.
The pair were sentenced earlier this year to 12 and six years in prison, respectively, for illegal financing of political parties. Both disappeared after their convictions, with Chisinau authorities believing that they currently are hiding in the breakaway Transdniester region.
The leader of the Renaissance party, Natalia Parasca, is also included in the EU document with the bloc pointing out that she is a member of the board of the already sanctioned entity Evrazia, which according to the files is “actively involved in the illegal financing schemes” of Shor.
Vadim Grozavu, leader of the Victory Party and Alexei Lungu, who heads the Chance Party, are also to be blacklisted.
Chisinau Mayor Not Included
The EU sanctions do not, however, include the mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban.
There was confusion on July 9 when the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on its website that due to national security considerations, Bucharest had barred him from entering Romania.
That the measure also included a ban on access to the EU’s Schengen area, which encompasses most EU countries as well as non-EU countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Ceban will be included in the Schengen Information System (SIS), which is a Schengen area database used for sharing information on border management and security, unless he appeals the decision.
But that stops short of a full ban as individual European capitals can undercut the Romanian ban by issuing a visa to their country or simply just allowing him entry. [RFE/RL/VP]
