The Constitutional Court will examine today the application for verification of the constitutionality of the "Șor" Party
The Constitutional Court will meet on Wednesday, 10 May, and will examine, by 17 May, the Government's application for verification of the constitutionality of the "Sor" political party. Earlier, former Justice Minister Sergiu Litvinenco said that "sufficient arguments have been presented, which show that, through all its activities so far, the "Șor" Party has acted in contradiction with the principles of the rule of law. In response, Ilan Șor said that his party would never be outlawed.
The decision to examine, from 10 to 17 May, the legality of the "Șor" political party, following the government's complaint, was taken on 23 March. The request was made in the context of accusations that the party had acted contrary to the principles of the rule of law and endangered Moldova's sovereignty and independence, being externally financed and supported by Russian secret services.
The complaint also stated that in all the elections in which it took part, the "Șor" party was sanctioned for violations of electoral legislation, including illegal financing.
In his reply, Ilan Șor said that the government's actions were due to the popularity of his party, adding that the party would never be outlawed.
On 14 November 2022, the Constitutional Court announced that opinions had been requested from the "Șor" Party and other public authorities on the case regarding the said complaint.
Subsequently, at the request of the Moldovan Government, the Venice Commission commented on 19 December on the constitutionality of a possible outlawing of the "ȘOR" Party, stating that "the state is not deprived of the right to regulate the activity of political parties, to ban them or to introduce other restrictive measures". At the same time, the Venice Commission finds that the recognition of the party's unconstitutionality is an interference in the right to freedom of association and therefore the decision must respect the law.
In 2022, the leader of the Sor Party, Ilan Sor, was included on the sanctions list of the United States, and then of the United Kingdom, for actions undermining the rule of law for the benefit of the Russian Federation and destabilising the political situation in Moldova. And at the end of April this year, the European Parliament called on the European Union to impose a travel ban on Ilan Șor and to confiscate his assets.
