Notion of ''high treason'' to get in focus of Moldovan lawmakers again

Chisinau, 24 May /MOLDPRES/ - The notion of ‘’high treason’’ will be clearly regulated in the legislation. The MPs: the head of the parliament’s commission for national security, defence and public order, Lilian Carp, the secretary of the juridical commission for appointments and immunities, Igor Chiriac, have registered an amendment on the modification of the Article 337 from Moldova’s Criminal Code.       

In the context, public consultations on the concerned initiative were held at the parliament’s headquarters today. Representatives of the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), Justice Ministry and Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) participated in the event.  

The authors say that the amendment was worked out, in order to consolidate the  normative framework in the field of ensuring the state’s security and combat the criminal activity which regards the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security and defence capacity of Moldova.    

Thus, the lawmakers suggest that the Criminal Code stipulates that ‘’the high treason, i.e. the deed committed deliberately by a Moldova’s citizen against the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security or defence capacity of Moldova, in the interest of a foreign state, a foreign organization, an anti-constitutional entity or their representatives, is expressed by: the deserting to the enemy during war or armed conflict; espionage,; divulging of the state secret; providing assistance for the carrying out of a hostile activity against the state’s security. Respectively, the MPs aim at giving this norm of incrimination a better clarity, by laying down of the essential features of the criminal deeds which define the high treason, as well as at protecting the fundamental values of the state’s existence, which are clearly provided for in the Constitution.     

The lawmakers also propose to introduce an additional form of high treason. It is about the providing of assistance to a foreign state, foreign organization, anti-constitutional entity or their representatives, in order to carry out a hostile activity against the state’s security. This can be expressed including through misinformation campaigns, activity organized in a certain period of time, plotted in order to achieve the hostile goals through misinforming the society, activity able to harm the sovereignty, independence, unity, indivisibility, security or defence capacity of Moldova.