Parliament approves committee to investigate April 6-8 events

Parliament approved a committee to investigate events on April 6-8, 2009 today. The committee includes one representative from each parliamentary party.

Right after parliamentary election results came in on the night of April 5, showing the Party of Communists win about 60 out of the 101 seats in the legislature, a few non-governmental organizations called on Moldovans to protest in downtown Chisinau against what they said were stolen elections. Protests were generally peaceful on April 6 and in the morning of April 7. Toward the afternoon on April 7, however, they turned violent as hundreds of young men and women stormed the Parliament and Presidential buildings and vandalized them.

On the night of April 7, security forces across the country engaged in the harsh repression of protesters, arresting hundreds of people, some of whom were not even in attendance at the protest. Many of the detainees were beaten and tortured, and at least one death - that of Valeriu Boboc - has been tied to the repression.

Several Romanian journalists were thrown out of the country (President Vladimir Voronin accused Romania of trying to stage a coup), and JurnalTV cameraman Oleg Brega was beaten by security forces in the back of the Government building. Mr. Brega was filming security forces beating protesters. JurnalTV reporter Rodica Mahu was also detained by unknown people who later turned out to be police officers.

h/t www.jurnal.md