Republic of Moldova shuts down border crossing points with Romania after street riots yesterday
Frontier guards verbally informed Romanian authorities that custom points with the Republic of Moldova in the eastern Romanian counties of Iasi, Vaslui and Galati were closed, declared for NewsIn the spokesperson of the border police in Iasi.
However, one single border point at Sculeni was reopened around 12.30 p.m. after some 200 Moldovans studying in Romania protested to be allowed to get to the capital Kishinev to demonstrate peacefully.
Around 300 persons, among which 20 journalists, were not allowed to cross the border yesterday and earlier today into the Republic of Moldova by the Moldovan authorities, people close to the border police declared.
The authorities motivated their refusal by saying that those persons did not have invitations or a justification for the trip. Moreover, they said that journalists were not accredited.
Hundreds of persons gathered yesterday in the center of the capital Kishinev to protest against the result of the Parliamentary elections held on April 5, which the Communist Party won with 61 seats out of 101, allowing them to decide the future president of the Republic of Moldova.
However, protesters say the elections were frauded and urge for the polling to be resumed.
Two police officers and one protester were reportedly killed in the riots yesterday, but there is no official confirmation. Other tens of people were hurt.
Hundreds of persons in Romania, mainly students, gathered in the main cities, including Bucharest, to protest in support of their fellow students rioting on the streets of Kishinev.
Moldovan president Vladimir Voronin declared the Romanian ambassador in Kishinev as persona non grata and decided to reintroduce mandatory visas for Romanian citizens.
Romania's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) refused to confirm, infirm or react in any way to the information.