Solidarity protest in Chișinău: Demonstrators demand accountability for war criminals
In solidarity with Ukraine, dozens of people gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Chisinau to protest. The participants condemned the war crimes committed by Moscow and called for justice for the victims. The demonstration was peaceful, and the Russian Embassy has not yet responded to the action.
Truth, justice, and compensation
The central message of the protest was "Truth, justice, and compensation for the victims of war." Those who attended did not chant slogans; instead, they carried banners with messages such as "Stop the killing of civilians" and "Torture of prisoners is a crime."
A woman at the demonstration expressed her opposition to violence, stating, "I am against bloodshed and death, and I oppose the occupation of any state or territory. That is why I came here—to say that I do not want blood to flow."
Valeriu Cibotari shared the impact of war on his family
Valeriu Cibotari expressed how the war has directly affected his family: “I have relatives in Ukraine; my wife’s brother lives there. This fall, I attended a funeral for his son, who died in the war,” he said.
Participants reflected on the morning of February 24, 2022, when they first heard about the invasion. “I was heading to work at 6 in the morning when I heard the explosions. At that moment, I couldn’t believe that Russia would actually attack Ukraine,” recounted another activist.
“Everyone was saying that the war would last just a week, yet here we are, four years later. This war has lasted longer than World War II, and there is still no end in sight,” added another protester.
Call for international justice
The demonstration was organized by Amnesty International Moldova, an organization dedicated to promoting respect for human rights.
Campaign coordinator Iuliana Zaria stated that Russia is responsible for numerous war crimes.
"Russia is guilty of countless war crimes. This includes the murder and injury of thousands of civilians, the torture of prisoners, and the forced transfer of civilians, including children, to other territories."
"These war crimes have no statute of limitations. We are here to demand that all war criminals be held accountable. We seek truth, justice, and compensation for the victims."
The executive director of the organization, Veaceslav Tofan, emphasized the need for the international arrest warrants issued for the Russian president to be enforced.
“The international arrest warrants for Putin and other Russian officials must be upheld by the International Criminal Court. Without this enforcement and without holding war criminals accountable, we cannot claim to have achieved a just peace.”
Additionally, Amnesty International Moldova has launched a petition urging the international community to ensure that all individuals responsible for serious human rights violations in Ukraine and crimes under international law are brought to justice.
