INTERVIEW: Who Decided To Jail Moldovan Opposition Journalist And Civic Activist Iurie Roșca?

This interview was made necessary by the criminal persecution against Moldovan journalist, editor and translator Iurie Roșca, who is one of the most representative exponents of the conservative vision in his country. He risks seven years of prison. He is accused of trafficking in influence, a crime he would have committed in 2009, when he was no longer a PM , not a member of the Government, but an unemployed person.

Thierry Andre Laurent-pellet interviews Iurie Roșca for FRN

The criminal file was initiated as a result of a self-denunciation made by highly dubious and blackmailing person claiming that he would bribe Roşca in order to influence a judge in an economic file. Although the file against Roșca was initiated on March 21, 2017, he was informed about it only on 28 February 2018. It is a procedural trick used by prosecutors to extend the length of criminal prosecution for an unlimited period. Thus, the file was opened on the basis of a crime, not against a concrete person. 

And this in spite of the fact that there are only two basic figures in the file: the denouncer and the alleged criminal, Iurie Roșca. This trick which was used by Anti corruption Prosecutor’s Office permitted to watch him eight months and a week (March 21 – November 28, 2017) without being obliged to notify the person who has the procedural quality of suspected for a maximum of 30 days. Only at 28th of November 2017 prosecutors qualified Roșca as suspect. This followed two times in succession to the maximum term of anonymous oversight of a suspect who was authorized by the court.

Iurie Roșca

So, after another ninety days, on February 28, 2018, nine prosecutors and officers descended at Roșca’s home for search. On the same day he was qualified as accused. Meanwhile, Roșca is forbidden to leave the country, the Prosecutor’s Office is seizing the headquarters of the Christian Democracy Foundation with the intention of confiscating a good that does not belong to the accused. In addition, all the computers belonging to the news portal editions www.flux.md and www.altermedia.md were lifted during the search. Thus, the activity of opposition journalist was blocked for a month and a half. Also, during the search, money belonging to other persons without any connections with this case were confiscated. On May 31, the criminal file was finalized. No credible evidence or witness was found. The file was drawn up with multiple procedural violations, abuses and unlawful acts. The trial will begin in a very short time.

ITW

Mr. Rosca, the situation you are living is very surprising, it seems that your juridical trouble are motivated by a political reason. Could you tell us about the political and geopolitical environment Moldavia is evolving?

– My case is easy to understand. So-called Anticorruption Prosecutor Office is trying to obtain my criminal conviction as a result of a political order. Why? Because I am a public person uncomfortable with the current government. I use to be for about twenty-five years a political leader, four times PM, twice deputy-chairman of Parliament and even deputy-PM for short period in 2009. But in 2009 my party lost the parliamentarian election after 19 years of more or less successful results at the national level when we were represented in national parliament.

During the last nine years I am not anymore an active politician and concentrated my activity on my basic profession which is journalism as well as on editorial activity and translation of several books which are written by my foreign friends. At the same time, I developed many international relations with intellectuals from Western Europe, Russia and post-communist countries who are sharing conservative, traditionalist, antiliberal and antiglobalist vision. Last year together with my friends from Jean Pavulesco Committee from France and International Eurasian Movement from Russia we organized two international conferences, which we called Chișinau Forum.

 My articles which are written in Romanian, Russian, English and French as well as my TV talk-show or video on Internet usually are very critical towards rolling alliance of my country. Maybe it is not a key motivation which determined my current criminal persecution. I think the most unpleasant aspect which make my opponents so nervous is the fact that my public discourse is articulated clearly and coherently against American empire, unipolar word, financial capitalism, market fundamentalism etc. In other words, I was in Soviet era as an anticommunist dissident, and I became now dissident in this new geopolitical context of American domination.

Unfortunately, we have not so many people in my country capable to articulate this kind of vision based on solid civilizational, religious, cultural and ideological arguments. My trenchant critics against axiological and economic colonialism of transnational corporations or global plutocracy represents a type of less common approach to our public space. So, if I am a part of anti-System international movement or way of thinking, the System is trying to punish me by putting me in jail for some seven years. Nothing new or atypical, just the normal reaction of self-conservation of so-called global elite which are using our authorities as a puppet in its own interest and against our national interest.

You know this famous affirmation about this kind of regime, which seems to be pronounced by American president many years ago about Nicaraguan dictator: “Somoza may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch.”.  So, the tentative to eliminate me from public space is useful at the same time for our local vassals as well as for their bosses from Western centers of influence.

Do you think this indictment is motivated by the organization of the first economic forum which orientation is anti-wild-capitalism?

If we have in mind the fact that the criminal case against me has been opened since the March 21, 2017 and the first international conference was held in May and the second in December last year, we can conclude that interest to suppress me predates both events. But anyhow my feeling is that I was vocal enough before these international events by my articles, books and public speeches in order to have this privilege to be persecuted by the Moldovan regime which is illegal, antidemocratic and antinational at the same time. To be honest, my persecution is a compliment for me and the appreciation of my modest contribution in the fight of ideas with unique thinking and political correctness of the neoliberal Western centers of power.

Without any doubts, the fact that I have so many international connections with very important thinkers from different countries who visited during last years Moldova to participate on the events like presentations of their books in Romanian language which were translated and printed by my People’s University (a think tank and printing house), on public lessons or TV debates were I was moderator has strongly disturbed our decision makers and their outside masters.

But of course, the last conference which was held in the last December “Financial capitalism and its alternatives for the 21st century. Contributions to the 4th Economic Theory” was an unprecedented event for my country. I mean the number and the intellectual quality of participants from so many countries. So we can consider that the Chisinau Forum was a catalyst and an aggravating factor for my criminal file.

What is your perception of the EU and which impact EU has on Moldova today? What relation do you envision between EU and Moldova?

– It is obvious for all informed people that EU was conceived as a geopolitical tool of USA after WWII when our European continent was divided between two empires, American and Soviet. The Soviet empire disappeared, the American not yet. After bipolar period of ”cold war” the so-called unipolar momentum remains in the past. European intellectual and political elites which a claimed to be populist or nationalist become very popular last years. The number of victims of new sort of religion or paradigm which use to be so attractive several decades ago is getting lower and lower in many countries from Western Europe.

This dynamic is growing very fast and seems to be irreversible.  Despite of Western part of our continent, Moldova had the same experience toward the EU. After so long and tragic communist past the only model which fascinated of our nations was the Western liberal democracy, ”the American dream”. In other words, the Euro-latry or Euro-enthusiasm is a widespread state of mind in Moldova. But disillusionment with the EU is becoming stronger.

Euroscepticism comes to replace euro-enthusiasm, especially after it became clear that Brussels can not only solve our economic and social problems but is the major cause of their deepening. Like other countries in the region, after Moldova signed the free trade agreement with the EU, freetradism appeared in our eyes not as a value but as a catastrophe. This is because free trade has ensured the export of Moldovans to the EU labor market, but also allowed the import of goods, services and capital from the Western Europe.

Thus, Moldova has become a colonized economy, bearing the same treatment that the Third World countries had in the XXth century. Nothing new. The global oligarchy, the transnational corporations have undermined national states, took control of politics, governments and international organizations, and reduced to vassality even large and powerful nations like the American or Western European. In this respect, Moldova is no exception, but part of a general rule. That is why the sovereign trend is becoming ever more vigorous.

At the same time, the dramatic influence of EU on Moldova is not limited by negative economic and social impact. The consumer society which is imposed by wild capitalism or market fundamentalism have the same catastrophic effects like everywhere: mass nomadism, the atomization of society, the destructuration of national body by individualism, the loss of traditional, religious, and cultural identity. Now the aggressive gay propaganda, the LGBT lobby which is financed by magnates like George Soros and openly supported by American embassies all over of the world affects Moldova too.

That is why myself and my team we are working hard in order to contribute to mental decolonization on of people. And only after this fundamental leap or paradigm shift we can hope to begin the resovereignisation of our state. And in this respect economical sovereignty precedes and determines political sovereignty.

Of course, our historical chance to build a free nation and strong state depends on how successful will be the process of decolonization of Western Europe from American domination. That is why we are working so closely with or friends from EU countries as well as from Russia and post-communist states. Either we will have a common success or a common failure. Tertium non datur.

Do you think that Moldova can become a factor of stability and dialog between the East and the West?

Ho! it was my dream! I have written a lot of articles on this issue trying to conceptualize the neutral status of Moldova as a key factor which could be a basis of our foreign policy. I have argued that Moldova can become a golden bridge between East and West without being part of some major geopolitical conflicts. Moderation and equidistance in relation to the great powers seemed to me possible and necessary.But probably I was too idealistic and maybe naïve. That’s because no country in the world can stand alone in the face of US political, military, and economic pressures which undermine the independence of each nations. Of course, I must also mention here that as the Russian people were the first victim of communism, so the American people is the first victim of neoliberal globalism. That is why close cooperation between the sovereigntist forces of the entire European continent is indispensable.

What type of troubles are you running into and which consequences this can have on your personal life?

I am a very old soldier, to make a joke. During thirty years of my political and journalistic career I was exposed to different risks. Such a life is hard to live, but it is even harder to tell. In any case, I’m ready for long time for any type of risks. I am a faithful person, and that helps me not to despair. What I do is useful for my people. The rest is secondary. Of course, I do not want to go to jail or die like a hero. I’d rather be able to work without living limit situation. But that does not always depend on me.

Have you ever thought to run away from the country?

Never. I cannot live abroad. I like to travel for different professional reasons. But after several days I feel bad away from my country. When my friends from abroad learned that I am in danger of going to jail, many of them proposed me to flee the country. They even proposed me to ask for political asylum, to live in their home. I’m very grateful to them, but I’m staying at home. However, we are not in the years of Communist terror, and I hope that growing international support will help me to avoid imprisonment and to be acquitted.

Do you think coming back in politics to fight back?

It depends on many factors. I am very comfortable now with my professional activities as a journalist, editor and translator as well as a person who is working in academic field. I am not interested in politics as a possibility to make a carrier. I use to be very relevant political leader when I was young. It is well known domain for me. But I have to think deeply if it the case to come back. Writing about politics and doing it are different issues. Last several years I just conceptualized politics. But anyhow, even if I do not like it, and to avoid an unequivocal answer, I would repeat a well-known expression: ” Never say ”never”.

Source - FRN