Prosecutor’s Office resumes investigation into former SIS chief over 2018 expulsion of Turkish teachers
The file concerning Vasile Botnari, the former director of the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), has been returned to the Chisinau Municipal Prosecutor's Office. This will allow for the resumption of the criminal investigation and the identification of other individuals involved in the illegal transfer of five teachers from the "Orizont" Lyceum to Turkey in September 2018.
On June 15, the Chisinau Court of Buiucani partially upheld the prosecutor's request dated April 22 and ordered the case returned for the resumption of criminal prosecution.
The prosecutor had requested a postponement and asked that the case file be returned to resume criminal proceedings against individuals who had previously been removed from the investigation. The prosecutor also sought to identify additional participants in the operation.
The court clarified that this measure does not affect the former head of the SIS's already established guilt. To maintain legal certainty and protect against double jeopardy, the judges decided to return the case file without issuing an indictment.
Conviction of Vasile Botnari
On July 15, 2020, the Chisinau Court sentenced Vasile Botnari to pay a fine of 88,000 lei and imposed a five-year ban on him from holding public office.
On November 19, 2024, the Supreme Court of Justice ordered a retrial of the case after recognizing Galina Tüfekçi, the wife of one of the plaintiffs, as an injured party. The Central Court of Appeal later admitted Galina Tüfekçi's appeal on February 23, 2026, partially overturning the 2020 sentence in its criminal aspect. The court ordered a retrial concerning both the individualization of the punishment and the civil aspect of the case.
"The Tüfekçi family has been demanding accountability for years regarding those responsible for the extralegal transfer, and the resumption of the criminal investigation may bring us closer to this goal. The court's decision allows the investigation to proceed regarding individuals previously removed from prosecution, as well as other potential participants. We expect the criminal investigation to yield concrete results within the statute of limitations so that all those responsible, including high-ranking officials, can be held accountable in accordance with the severity of the violations identified by the European Court of Human Rights," stated Vadim Vieru, the lawyer representing the injured party in this case.
Case of the teachers from "Orizont" at the ECtHR
In the case of Ozdil and Others v. the Republic of Moldova, which became final on September 11, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found violations of Article 5 of the Convention, concerning the right to liberty and security, and Article 8, which pertains to the right to respect for private and family life.
The Strasbourg Court concluded that the applicants' deprivation of liberty on September 6, 2018, was neither lawful nor necessary. The operation was conducted in a manner that caught the five teachers by surprise, leaving them no opportunity to defend themselves.
Furthermore, their handover to the Turkish authorities bypassed the protections outlined in national and international law. The ECtHR also noted that national courts refused to consider the applicants' appeals against decisions rejecting their asylum applications and classifying them as undesirable persons.
The Court ordered that each applicant receive 25,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages.
In a communication addressed to the Committee of Ministers on January 26, 2026, the Promo-LEX Association, which represents the interests of the Tüfekçi family, along with the Legal Resources Centre of Moldova (LRCM), highlighted the length of the investigation and the fact that no charges had been filed to date. They also raised concerns about the risk of the statute of limitations expiring.
During its March 2026 meeting, the Committee adopted a new decision in this case. It requested that the Moldovan authorities expedite the criminal proceedings against the former director of the SIS (Intelligence and Security Service) and provide updates on the progress made.
Additionally, the Committee called for accelerating the investigation into high-ranking officials, implementing regulations for the parliamentary subcommittee overseeing the SIS, and continuing diplomatic efforts regarding the situation of Yasin Özdil, who remains detained in Turkey.
Once again, the Committee emphasized the importance of sending a strong message at the highest political level regarding the unacceptability of arbitrary detentions and extralegal transfers.
The deadline for submitting updated information is September 12, 2026.
In 2018, several Turkish teachers were illegally expelled from Moldova, where they had been living for several years with their families and children. There were no criminal convictions against them in the country.
The authorities in Chisinau cited alleged ties to the Gülen movement, which Ankara deems a threat. However, this operation was carried out without adhering to the proper legal extradition procedures, lacking judicial oversight and the opportunity for a defense. Subsequently, the teachers were sentenced to prison in Turkey.
In the spring of 2026, four of the Turkish teachers who were illegally extradited from Moldova in 2018 were released from Turkish prisons.
Riza Doğan, Mehmet Tüfekçi, and Müjdat Çelebi were granted refugee status on December 27, 2023, while Sedat Hasan Karacaoğlu was awarded permanent residency on April 9, 2025. All of them can now cross the border into Moldova without restrictions.
The situation of Yasin Özdil, however, remains unresolved. According to the authorities, the transfer of his sentence can only be initiated at his request or by his relatives, and it requires the consent of both states. Additionally, he cannot be granted any form of protection in absentia, as the asylum application must be submitted either on the territory of Moldova or at its border.
