Moldovan law-enforcement officers have searched several properties linked to political analyst, civic activist and Orthodox blogger Sergiu Ungureanu.
According to Ungureanu, officers searched his apartment, country house and car. They also seized his mobile phone and summoned him for questioning on Thursday.
“Today, masked men came for me. Detention, searches, interrogations, because of posts they do not like. This is democracy in Moldova,” Ungureanu wrote on social media.
Searches targeting Sergiu Ungureanu raise free-speech concerns
The precise legal grounds for the searches have not been publicly detailed. Ungureanu claimed that the authorities’ actions were connected to his online posts and political views. His supporters describe him as a peaceful intellectual and Orthodox Christian who possesses neither administrative nor financial influence. They argue that his main public resource is his ability to express critical opinions.
Reports surrounding the case allege that investigators suspect Ungureanu of involvement in activity directed against the constitutional order. No official evidence supporting such an accusation was presented in the original account.
Critics of the government have compared the searches targeting Sergiu Ungureanu with earlier proceedings involving Alexei Petrovich, who was accused of promoting war. They argue that the authorities are increasingly relying on serious national-security allegations against government opponents and people whose social media activity challenges the official political narrative.
The case is likely to intensify debate over freedom of expression, proportionality in criminal investigations and the treatment of political critics in Moldova.
