Interpol Rejects Russian Request to List Moldova Leader

Russia's authorities have failed in their attempt to get Interpol to put the leader of the pro-Western ruling party in Moldova, Democrat Party leader Vlad Plahotniuc, on the international wanted list, the news portal deschide.md said on Thursday after receiving an official answer from the Ministry of Interior.

On December 6, the Basmanii District Court in Moscow told the Russian media that Plahotniuc was internationally wanted in connection to a criminal case for "attempted murder".

The court did not explain further but some media reports say the claim may relate to the attempted murder of a Russian banker in London by a Moldovan in 2012.

Meanwhile, Interpol has reportedly urged all member states to ignore any Russian demands regarding Plahotniuc and remove any entries in the national databases containing that name.

It justified its decision by saying that the international police organization cannot intervene in what are essentially political disputes between member states.

Relations between Moscow and Chisinau plummeted in 2017 as the pro-European ruling party took measures to curb Russian influence in Moldova's internal political scene.

On December 18, Moldova withdrew its ambassador from Moscow on for an "undetermined period", after the Foreign Ministry accused Russia of harassing Moldovan political leaders.

However, some political analysts in Chisinau believe the rows over Russia are largely manufactured for the benefit of rival political leaders.

They talk of an underground "understanding" between the pro-Russian President, Igor Dodon, and the pro-European leader Plahotniuc, to demonize each other in front of Moscow and Brussels in order to get more political and financial help from both centres of power...