Moldova labels pro-Russian Shor party anti-constitutional and bans it

Moscow, Jun. 19, (dpa/GNA) – The Constitutional Court of the former Soviet Republic of Moldova has classified the pro-Russian Shor party as anti-constitutional and banned it.

The Justice Ministry must now form a commission to liquidate the party and remove it from a state register, presiding judge Nicolae Roșca announced on Monday, according to Moldovan media.

The government of Moldova, which lies between Ukraine and Romania, wants to join the European Union, but there are strong pro-Russian forces in the country, especially in the breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russian soldiers are stationed.

The Shor party is named after its founder Ilan Shor, an Israeli-born oligarch sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison. He fled to Israel to evade corruption charges and still lives there.

Shor is alleged to have been involved in the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014.

By comparison, Moldova’s entire gross national product (GNP) is estimated at $14 billion. Moldova is a small, landlocked Eastern European country.

Shor had criticized the sentence imposed on him as revenge for the protest movement he directed in Moldova. He has not yet commented on the party ban.

Six of the 101 members of the Moldovan parliament belong to the Schor party. According to the court decision, they may keep their mandate, but as independent members of parliament without the right to join other parliamentary groups.

GNA