The Chișinău Court of Appeal has rejected the defense appeal filed by former Member of Parliament Marina Tauber. The first-instance verdict — seven years and six months of imprisonment — has been upheld. The ruling was issued on Friday, June 5, and has already entered into legal force.
The court also ordered the confiscation of 206 million lei from Tauber. The case concerns the illegal financing of the former Șor Party and the falsification of reports regarding the origin of party funds. Tauber has repeatedly described the criminal proceedings against her as politically motivated.
On the day the Court of Appeal issued its decision, the former lawmaker was not in Moldova but in Russia, attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Speaking there, Tauber did not comment directly on the verdict but focused on issues that are commonly described in Chișinău as “pro-Russian rhetoric.”
She stated that cultural ties between Moldova and Russia remain an integral part of a shared historical space and argued that the current policies of the Moldovan authorities cannot alter the cultural identity of society.
“I understand that PAS and Maia Sandu will literally explode after hearing these words, but it is the truth,” Tauber emphasized.
She paid particular attention to the Soviet period.
“I am a person who was born in the Soviet Union, and many of us were born in the Soviet Union. Those who were not born then know from their parents and grandparents how good life was and how people were able to develop. I am speaking specifically about our republic and about how much people felt cared for,” the former MP said.
Marina Tauber was one of the leading figures of the Șor Party, which was banned in Moldova following a Constitutional Court ruling and a series of anti-corruption investigations. The party’s leader, Ilan Șor, received a 15-year prison sentence in absentia in connection with the theft of one billion dollars from Moldova’s banking system.
Șor has repeatedly claimed that the criminal cases against him and his associates were initiated by the ruling PAS party for political reasons.
