“The police, at the behest of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), are preventing pensioners from applying for indexation of their pensions to the inflation rate of 2022,” lawyers said on Friday at a press conference at the INFOTAG news agency.         

Lawyer Alexandr Bodnariuc stated that "since December 2022, a network of offices has been organized in Moldova to receive applications from pensioners to whom the authorities, instead of indexing pensions by 30%, have indexed by 15%."            

"Prices have increased, the cost of medicines has not decreased, utility payments have become oppressive. Elderly people are desperate. Given that the lawyer has the right to provide free services, based on the law "On Advocacy," we started this activity. We are approached by thousands of seniors to apply to the National Social Security Administration (CNAS) for a pension recalculation. The work requires careful preparation of documents. However, on June 28 in Balti, we were confronted with the fact that individuals who later identified themselves as police officers broke into one of the offices," he stressed.         

The lawyer reported that the law enforcers (who did not wish to identify themselves first) had no right to enter the premises without permission from the owner of the building and the lawyers working there.          

"Seventy-five appeals to CNAS were seized without legal basis. These people can't get meaningful compensation. Article 44 of the Law on the Bar states that the search of the premises where lawyers work can be done with the permission of the attorney general or a judge," said Bodnariuc.            

 Lawyer Ion Cretu also drew attention to the fact that for the first time in Moldova "pensioners in distress have united in their struggle."          

 "The authorities think about anything - accession to NATO, militarization of the country, but not about the elderly. Such actions of the PAS Party, and President Maia Sandu only worsen the situation ... We will not stop, and we will continue to file free lawsuits - first to CNAS, and then to the courts demanding recalculation of pensions at the level of inflation 2022", - concluded the lawyer.