Oleg Khorzhan: “Are you asking why I haven’t been killed yet?!” 26.04.2021

Honestly, I do not know what will happen to our guest after the publication of this interview. Especially after the second and third parts were published. Because in them - just wow content! About many people. And about a lot of things. I don't know... At least he could be put back in the punishment cell. For another ten days. Or they will start "fabricating" a new case. As Andrei Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky says, "If there is a man, but there can be a case built". I want to believe that the long-term capo di tutti capi ("boss of bosses") of entire Transnistria - Viktor Anatolyevich Gushan, and the third president of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic - Vadim Nikolaevich Krasnoselsky, and the head of the local Ministry of Internal Affairs - Ruslan Petrovich Mov, have enough brains and foresight not to escalate the matter to an unexpected heart attack or stroke of our today's guest. For, according to the glorious and wise Australian aborigines, the boomerang always returns. Always.

I will reveal one professional secret: the work on this interview with Oleg Khorzhan began in December last year. It was necessary to keep everything in the strictest confidence until today. You understand why.

And I want to thank several worthy, decent and honest officers of the Russian military intelligence and the Ministry of State Security of the PMR, who have preserved everything that we, mere mortals, call "being a real officer and a patriot." The laws of the genre are such that I cannot say their names, titles, or ranks. I will only say one thing: these true officers of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (the current GRU - author's note) and the Ministry of State Security of the PMR are already pretty sick of the oligarchic-cop regime on the left bank of the Dniester. And they did everything to make our contact with Oleg Khorzhan work.

And who knows, because life is full of surprises. Maybe this interview will end up on the table of the one who is the “final instance” in the immense and still inexplicable Russia. And he will take only one, but a strategic decision. We’ll wait and see. In the meantime, let's start.

Personal records.

Khorzhan Oleg Olegovich.

Born on June 30, 1976 in the town of Kamenka, Kamensky District of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Graduated from the Taras Shevchenko Transnistrian State University.

A lawyer by profession.

He began his professional career in the summer of 1992 at a military hospital in Dubossary. Then he was a worker, teacher and lawyer.

At the age of 18 he joined the Communist Party of the PMR. Since May 2003 - Chairman of the Central Committee of the Transnistrian Communist Party.

From 2010 to 2019 - Deputy of the V and VI convocations of the Supreme Council of the PMR.

He participated in the elections for the head of the Transnistrian region twice: in 2011 and 2016.

On June 6, 2018, the Supreme Council of the PMR deprived him of his parliamentary immunity on charges of using violence and insults against a government official.

In August 2018, the Supreme Court of the PMR sentenced Oleg Khorzhan to 4.5 years in prison.

Remains the leader of the Union of Opposition Forces of the Transnistrian region.

Many sane people in Tiraspol, Chisinau and Moscow consider him a political prisoner and a personal enemy of the main oligarch of the PMR Viktor Gushan, the third president of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky and the local head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Ruslan Mov.

Son, husband, father, grandfather. Wife Olga with two sons - Eugene and Artyom, and granddaughter Eva.

The first part.

About the art of bringing antipodes to a state of ecstasy - moral, psychological, emotional, or “Say a word about the Transnistrian prison”.

- Oleg, there is a proposal: in order to give our conversation a third cosmic speed and bring your antipodes to a frenzy, I will "torture your brain" with my questions. And you, as a veteran who has seen every kind of “zek”, will answer them - truthfully, confidingly, like a man. How do you like this?

- (thoughtful) An experienced prisoner ... You formulated my current status in a very peculiar way. Yes, I am ready for a direct and frank conversation.

- So, instead of a prologue. Dear Oleg Olegovich Khorzhan, why are you, in fact, still alive?

- This question is not for me, but for our Transnistrian oligarch (Viktor Anatolyevich Gushan, head of the Sheriff holding. - author's note). Only he makes decisions of this kind in Transnistria. I can only assume that the consequences of such a decision for him would be more than serious.

- By the way, have you forgotten what date is today? Who is celebrating their 51st birthday on this day? Do you want to convey anything in honor of his birthday to Vadim Nikolaevich Krasnoselsky, the third president of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic? Something good, kind and affectionate. He’s your antipode, after all.

- No, I do not want to. Everything that I wanted to say to him, I stated in an open letter that was sent to him in January. Krasnoselsky had a chance to listen and try to do something useful for people.

They, Gushan, Krasnoselsky and others, have turned Transnistria into an unrecognized region where lawlessness and arbitrariness flourish. Where people do not live, but survive. Where what remains of the economy works exclusively for the enrichment of them (Sheriff holding - author's note). Where the law means nothing, and poverty, lawlessness and corruption have become attributes of everyday life. Where government bodies operate outside the constitutional field, serving the interests of only one commercial structure. I have nothing to congratulate Vadim Krasnoselsky with/

(the incredibly open letter that Khorzhan wrote to Krasnoselsky can be viewed here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/441788529600873/permalink/1117553345357718/)

- And what is your citizenship besides the Pridnestrovian one?

- I have citizenship of the Republic of Moldova.

Frankly, I want to become a citizen of the Russian Federation, but only in a legal way. And I will definitely do it when such an opportunity is provided.

- Do you consider yourself a pro-Russian politician or a Transnistrian-pro-Russian one?

- I was born here, on this land, in Transnistria. My parents were born here, my family lives here, here are the graves of my ancestors. And therefore, as a person who connects his future with this land, I understand well that the guarantee of the prosperity of our region and a decent life for people is in serious integration processes in the post-Soviet space, and above all with the Russian Federation.

Some may like it, others may not, but it is so. We have lived together for centuries. There are close economic, cultural, historical and other ties between us. And, as recent history has shown, breaking such ties does not lead to anything good.

Therefore, I will answer you this way - I am a Transnistrian politician who is convinced that we need to develop the closest relations with Russia and other republics of the former USSR. This is primarily in our interests.

But this does not mean at all - I want to emphasize this especially - it does not mean at all that we should build some kind of wall against the European Union and other Western countries.

- Please tell us a little bit about your family, who are they, what do they do?

- My wife Olga is a teacher of one of the Tiraspol schools. The eldest son Eugene is 24 years old, the youngest, Artem, is 12 years old. A granddaughter, Evochka, was born last year. But I have never seen her yet.

- After the events of 2018, how many people are still your friends? And how many rotted away and left your memory and heart?

- My friends have been walking with me through life for more than a dozen years. Many of them are from their student days. I have never built friendships for personal gain or for career advancement. Therefore, probably, all my friends stayed with me today, with the exception of one person.

- By the way, did your family stay in Transnistria or were forced to leave after you were arrested?

- My wife and youngest son live in Tiraspol. But the eldest son with his family was forced to leave Transnistria. The regime created a criminal case against him. Of course, they tried to put pressure on me in this way. At first, they threw my son and his wife into police dungeons, kept them in inhuman conditions, but this seemed to them to be not enough… Today Evgeny and his family live in Moscow.

- Is the place where the current Transnistrian authorities put you - is it a prison or a classic “zone”? And what is it called correctly, where is it?

- Currently, I am in the number one penitentiary institution, which is located in the village of Glinoye of the Grigoriopol region. In your language, this is the classic “zone”.

- I heard that prison #1 in the village of Glinoe of the Grigoriopol region, is the same as in Chisinau the notorious SIZO-13, created for especially dangerous, political and personal enemies of the next president, prime minister or oligarch #1. Or like the American Guantanamo. Is this so?

- No, I don’t think that is so today.

- Why were you sent to this particular prison? Is this the way it should be according to the laws of the PMR, is it an accident or is there some hidden Jesuit hint and subtext in it?

- In general, in accordance with the law, I should have been sent to a colony-settlement, which is located just a kilometer from my house. And since, when passing the so-called verdict, the task was to create the most difficult conditions for me, I ended up in the most remote “zone” of Transnistria.

By the way, here’s an interesting detail. I was charged with four episodes under this article. The prosecutor asked for five years for all four episodes. Even this "sheriff's" court acquitted me on three episodes, including for the well-known one - exposing the police officers. In the verdict there was only one unproven push to the policeman's chest. And for this impetus I got 4.5 years - exactly the time for the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections to pass "comfortably".

- And how do you correctly assess your current status - are you a political prisoner, an enemy of the state, a personal enemy of Mr. Gushan, a personal enemy of Mr. Krasnoselsky, or a personal enemy of Minister Mov?

- Currently, there is no legal decision (verdict in my case) from the point of view of both Transnistrian and international legislation. Under these conditions, in June 2020, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova - an internationally recognized court - fully acquitted me and recognized my being in prison as illegal. This decision was recognized by all countries and all international organizations in the world.

Therefore, today my legal status is illegally withheld.

And about Gushan's personal enemy, well. Yes, probably it is.

- Did any of the above gentlemen hint to you during these two and a half years of imprisonment about a so-called "letter of repentance", was there a lot of money offered for your consent to be amnestied and leave your native land forever, and other sweet deals?

- Yes, I was told about it directly. I will say more - if I had agreed to this proposal, I would have been free back in June 2019.

In addition, immediately after my arrest, I received an offer to become a bribed opposition to our oligarch in exchange for freedom, the deputy chair and fairly comfortable life.

But I already told you - I associate my future with this land, with the people living here, and therefore no one will be able to buy or intimidate me.

- Do you sit in a solitary confinement cell or in a multi-bed cell?

- I am in a general area where more than three hundred people live.

- The first hours, days, weeks, months ... What were they like, these circles of hell, for Oleg Khorzhan?

- To be honest, the first two years were hard enough. The regime did everything to create inhuman conditions for me, to morally humiliate, crush, get me to stop any political and human rights activities.

After my arrest, I spent seven months in solitary confinement, then I was transferred to an ordinary prison.

I will not talk in detail about what I had to go through. I was forced to go on a hunger strike, which lasted almost 50 days. All this information is on social networks.

And only in the fall of 2020 they let me be. For now, anyway. What will happen after this interview, I do not know.

At this point, the conditions of detention are normal, corresponding to the state of my health.

- Oleg, forgive me for the immodest question... Just wondering - in the prison where you were put there are still memorable Soviet buckets or everything is already brand new - snow-white ceramic toilets, air fresheners, soft toilet paper?

- Why Soviet ones? If I am not mistaken, such places have existed for more than one hundred years, and in this form. They are here too. What kind of white ceramic toilet and air fresheners can there be in an impoverished republic, where people have scanty pensions and salaries, where the entire budget works for the pocket of one person?

For the sake of fairness, it must be said that recently the windows in all the barracks have been replaced, and some repairs have been made. However, it is still very far from the civilized level.

- What are you being fed? What is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

- This is a topic for another interview (I confess, it’s a very tempting hint, Oleg Olegovich. - author's note). I can only say that no exceptions are made for me.

- Are you allowed to receive food parcels from your parents, family, friends, and like-minded people?

- Yes, I receive these regularly.

- What about the walks? Are they daily or weekly? How long does it last? And are you personally taken out to breathe fresh air and bask in the sun?

- They are okay with that. I try to walk more. It is not only physically beneficial, but also stimulates mental activity.

- Do you have the opportunity to play sports?

- There is such an opportunity. But the doctors forbade me to put serious stress on the body.

While in prison, I developed a number of diseases. And a long hunger strike had a serious impact on my health. Therefore, the maximum that I can today is walking. It’s what I am doing.

- And what about the bathhouse? The war never changes, though people went to the bathhouse even in the Great Patriotic War...

- Everything is fine with the bath. Was before our interview, anyway.

In the photo: Oleg Khorzhan and his "bodyguards". In masks, according to all the laws of the play. But their names, surnames and titles are already known. And sooner or later they will have to answer for the execution of illegal orders. And find themselves under arrest...

The second part.

How to survive in a punishment cell and not go crazy, and more than a year without meeting with loved ones.

 - Do you have access to legal phone calls to your family and lawyer, to television, the local daily and weekly press, to the prison library?

- Yes, since recently I am able talk on the phone with my family and associates. I get newspapers, I follow the latest news, I read books.

- If my memory serves me right, you spent ten days in the punishment cell. Can you describe it: the length, width, height, what is there and what is accepted there?

- In total, I spent almost a month in the punishment cell. A punishment cell is a small cell in the basement. Wooden bunks, iron table, washbasin and the place you mentioned (“parasha” – the old toilet - author's note). That's probably all.

The mattress is handed out at 22.00 and taken away at 6.00. Of the things you can take with you, you can only have a toothbrush, soap and a towel. And almost complete lack of sunlight ...

- What helped you not to go crazy during this month in the punishment cell: did you do yoga, meditate, do you know special psycho technics?

- Well, no. I don’t do anything like that.

Belief in your righteousness, striving for the goal that you have set for yourself, and, most importantly, the constant support of the people for whom you fight. I felt this support and I feel it here all the time - both from the convicts and from the staff. Even if they cannot help in any way, some just say kind words, others will support. And this means a lot in difficult conditions.

After all, people are not fools, they understand everything well enough.

- For two and a half years in prison, have you been tortured: beatings, psychological pressure, psychotropic drugs, deprivation of the opportunity to sleep normally, did they threaten your family, parents and friends?

- There was no physical impact on me, but there was a psychological one, and a strong one.

- Is it true that you are still not allowed to see either your family, or your parents, or your lawyer? And when was the last time you met them?

- I saw my family in early February 2020. Dating is currently prohibited due to quarantine.

About the sadistic "art" of breaking bones of the unwanted ones and how did ex-president Shevchuk swim across the Dniester?

 - Oleg, I heard that ex-mayor of Bender, former head of the PMR Customs Committee Yuri Gervazyuk and ex-Minister of Internal Affairs of Transnistria Gennady Kuzmichev are being held in the same “zone” where you are now.

- Yuri Gervazyuk is where as I am - in UIN-1, Gennady Kuzmichev is nearby, in a neighboring institution, in prison number one.

- Do you also consider them political prisoners of the Transnistrian regime?

- Yes, absolutely. Obviously, they were not convicted of economic crimes, but by order of the Transnistrian oligarch. Gervaziuk - for making a true film about Sheriff. Kuzmichyov - for the fact that from 2011 to 2015 he limited the "Firm" the opportunity to earn according to its schemes (hereinafter "Firm" - is the "Sheriff" holding - author's note).

- By the way, how many prisoners are there today in Transnistria, whom Oleg Khorzhan could boldly call political?

- Many. Lots of them. Today in Transnistria, several dozen people have already been convicted for political reasons. Hundreds of people were forced to leave the PMR because of criminal or political persecution. In addition, a fairly large number of citizens were imprisoned or forced to leave in connection with their lucrative business, which “Firma” wanted to have. These are the people who refused to voluntarily give up their business, give up their property. Who accidentally crossed the border of the economic interests of the Pridnestrovian monopoly.

- Is it true that both Mr. Gervaziuk and Mr. Kuzmichev were and are still being subjected to severe beatings, psychological torture, their families were forced to leave Transnistria and hide somewhere unknown? After all, since the time of Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, it has been known that the "prison telegraph" works quickly, efficiently and knows everything and about everyone ...

- Gervazyuk and Kuzmichev were very badly beaten during their arrest. They beat them brutally. They broke bones - out of revenge, out of pleasure, it was indicative so that others get discouraged.

- By the way, did you meet them face to face in prison?

- I saw Gennady Kuzmichev only once, in August 2018, a month after his arrest. It was a terrible sight - he could hardly move his legs. What is up at the present time, I do not know.

We meet Gervazyuk sometimes. I know that he is not beaten, but the conditions of his detention are unknown to me.

- Please tell us one big secret: who helped the ex-president of the PMR Yevgeny Shevchuk after his loss in the presidential elections in 2016 to swim across the Dniester and be out of the reach of the Gushan-Krasnoselsky couple? Was it Vladimir Georgievich Plahotniuc and his "enforcers", the FSB, the SVR, the GRU, or the brave guys from the CIA station in Chisinau?

- I don't know for certain, but I understand that he was most likely given the opportunity to leave.

By the way, both in the office of the "Firm" and in the higher ranks of the authorities very much hoped that I would be scared and would also decide to leave Transnistria. It was an unpleasant surprise for them - my decision to stay and continue the fight from the dungeons.

- And Shevchuk actually swam across the Dniester in a boat, as they say around here? Or was it a legend for naive simpletons? But in reality, he was saved in the same way as once Yanukovych was saved.

- Yevgeny Shevchuk himself told me that he calmly, by car, crossed the border at an official checkpoint.

About "rotten eggs" of the Transnistrian deputies. And so much more…

 - It is known that there are 33 deputies in the PMR Supreme Council. When in 2018 you were deprived of your parliamentary immunity, had some of your fellow MPs titanium balls, someone who said a firm "no!" in your support? Or the balls of the Transnistrian deputies turned out to be small? Excuse me for the lack of political correctness: at the very beginning of our conversation, we agreed that it would be non-trivial ...

- You very accurately noticed about the "small eggs" of my former colleagues in the Supreme Council ...

It was a very funny sight. At that time, I already knew that I would leave the building of the Supreme Soviet in handcuffs. And therefore, having come to that meeting as it should be - in a tracksuit, sneakers and with things, I no longer followed the content of these "debates", but watched with curiosity how these poor fellows were tormented. When the time came to vote, some raised their hands, bowing their heads low, others raised them so that it was not clear how they were voting, and still others did not vote at all. But none of them dared to openly object to the real master of the Transnistrian authorities.

- And who, in your opinion, is the #2 opposition politician in Transnistria today? Is there such a thing? If so, what to be expected from him: both for you and your enemies?

- What is happening in Transnistria today is definitely not a political struggle. Not a competition of views and ideas. This develops into something else, more like the nascent national liberation struggle for the liberation of Transnistria, a very dangerous and brutal one. Therefore, there cannot be a pedestal here. Everyone who has made the decision to fight this regime is in the forefront and risks a lot. Therefore, assigning "places" in this situation is unacceptable.

- How many members were in the Transnistrian Communist Party at the time of your arrest? And what has become of this party today?

- By the day of my arrest, I was more concerned with the Union of Opposition Forces, because I believed and still believe that our struggle in modern conditions is much broader than the party framework.

At that time, there were several thousand people in the PKP. I know that only a few left the Party and the Union of Opposition Forces later. However, during this time, many citizens of Transnistria joined our ranks, although the regime was counting on the opposite result. For this I am very grateful to the people of Transnistria.

- Doesn't it seem strange to you that the Pridnestrovian Ministry of Justice has not yet found a hundred and one reason to outlaw it? As they say, out of sight - out of mind?

- I think that one should not look for logic and common sense where decisions are made by one person, proceeding from his momentary desire, whims, pride or revenge ...

Will Krasnoselsky live and what will the capo di tutti capi of all Transnistria decide about this matter?

- Does Oleg Khorzhan still thinks that Mr. Krasnoselsky and his associates are puppets?

- For such a question, and even more so for an honest answer to this one, in modern Transnistria they can make you five more years of prison. And, nevertheless, I will answer you ...

Unfortunately, you are correct. Today, the threads of power from the offices of Transnistrian top officials are drawn to the office of the main Transnistrian oligarch.

- According to all the laws of the pay, since the time of “Buratino and Karabas-Barabas”, all puppets have a puppeteer. And who still continues to pull the strings of Vadim Nikolaevich and his servants?

- I can only repeat what I have said more than once. Today, Transnistria is actually ruled by a local oligarch, the owner of the Transnistrian monopoly. It is in his hands that the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government are located. Having received this power in a very dubious way back in 2015-2016, he believed that both Transnistria and the people living here are his personal property, his instrument for unrestrained profit. Therefore, I am convinced that the duty of any decent person is to resist this evil.

- Gentlemen from Chisinau who know and understand all the “secrets of the Transnistrian court” have been solving serious problems for a long time and as privately as possible (and earning huge money) with capo di tutti capi from Tiraspol, whose name is Victor Anatolyevich Gushan. And Mr. Krasnoselsky is considered nothing more than famous "Funt". Does this behavior of tough guys from the right bank of the Dniester hurt and insult you as a citizen and patriot of Transnistria? Or do they act correctly, without unnecessary romance and idealism?

- I do not like it. It is obvious that the Transnistrian regime could not exist if it did not support and earn money for certain politicians, including ones in Moldova. And people living on both banks of the Dniester suffer from such "sponsorship" and profit.

- I understand you correctly - at least from the end of 2016 to the present day, the PMR has two presidents: de facto, real- Victor Anatolyevich Gushan, and the next head of state, the third in a row, - Vadim Nikolaevich Krasnoselsky?

- You understand me correctly - there is only one real master of the Transnistrian authorities ...

- What do you think, does Mr. Krasnoselsky still have a chance to live? I'm talking about his political future. Or, by a lucky coincidence, given that this year the PMR will hold presidential elections, one policeman will replace another policeman in the chair of the main official of Transnistria?

- Speaking from the point of view of holding normal democratic elections, neither Vadim Krasnoselsky nor any other representative of this regime has a chance to gain the people's trust. If we talk about the appointment of the president and about the personal decision, in this context, of Viktor Gushan, then this is a question for him. I don't know how he sees the further political fate of Vadim Krasnoselsky.

Ending.

- Do you think Ruslan Petrovich Mova, the head of the Pridnestrovian Ministry of Internal Affairs, has presidential ambitions? Many are talking about this: in Tiraspol itself, and in Chisinau, and in the US Embassy in Chisinau!

- This one definitely has. But again, nothing depends on his desire.

- Maybe the next president of the PMR will be a woman? Smart, grasping, knowing many and many things. And the name of this lady is Galina Mikhailovna Antyufeeva. Or Ilona Petrovna Tyuryaeva ... Does this "feminist" version have the right to exist?

- Galina Mikhailovna is smart and knowledgeable? Are you serious?!

Tell me, do you see the difference between Krasnoselsky, Mova, Antyufeeva or Tyuryaeva?!

I have been in Transnistrian politics since 1993, I know all these guys and gals from within. I understand well who, how and why starts the gears of this mechanism.

Remember how in Krylov's fable? "And you, friends, no matter how you’re sitting down, still nowhere as musicians are." A formal change of names in the presidential chair will lead nowhere. Therefore, it is necessary to solve the main issue of the republic - the issue of the Transnistrian monopoly and its owner.

- Oleg, I will not hide that in order to keep our interview as secret as possible, I consulted only with my old and trusted colleagues and partners in Moscow. I was sure that there would be no information leakage from them to Tiraspol. Fortunately, it was so... Here's what they told: among Mr. Putin there are serious, thinking and far-sighted men who, to put it mildly, are already fed up with the current oligarchic-cop regime in Transnistria. Gushan, Mova, Krasnoselsky and the rest are stuck in the soviet past and do not want to leave it... And in the Kremlin and at 4 Old Square, they already want someone adequate, normal and predictable. Perhaps with a slightly European "touch" or "charm". Rumor has it that the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation itself (!) is ready to "vote" for you. More recently, this structure was known to the whole world under the short name - GRU ... In short, Oleg, I was told that you must be released by the end of May this year. And GRUs don't care about Gushan, and Krasnoselsky, and Mova ... And you, Oleg Olegovich Khorzhan, will be treated and you will seriously prepare for the upcoming presidential elections in the PMR. What's wrong with this version?

- To begin with, I dare to assure you that in Soviet times, Gushan and company would not have had a single chance to exist. Therefore, Transnistria is no longer a fragment of the Soviet Union. What is happening here is more like the period of wild capitalism in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

I know that there are enough decent politicians and statesmen in Russia who understand that the earliest possible solution to the problem with the current regime in Transnistria is also a matter of Russia's national interests. The very existence of such a regime, which is assisted by the support of the Russian leadership, gives serious arguments to opponents of the Kremlin's foreign policy.

In addition, a large number of citizens of the Russian Federation live in Transnistria. And these citizens will not be able to live normally, safely, while the Transnistrian government is controlled by the "Firm".

As for the upcoming presidential elections, we are preparing for them more than seriously. Today, what we propose and what we are ready to implement in Transnistria is supported by the overwhelming number of our people, and we are simply obliged to justify this trust.

- And what, by the way, does the current Transnistrian legislation on parole say: only after serving two-thirds of the term or under a presidential amnesty, in honor of May 9?

- I received the right to parole back in December 2019. But that is not the question. The decision to release me is independent of the law.

Today for "Firma" my release is a nightmare, this is the beginning of their end. This is why they resist so much. I can assure you that this issue is on the agenda at the highest level today.

You probably know that in April 2020, the leaders of all factions of the Russian parliament, without exception, addressed Krasnoselsky with a letter about my release - and the Transnistrian authorities did not give a damn, including even this letter.

I think that the issue of my release can be resolved only if tough political decisions are made outside of Transnistria.

Bucks of the Transnistrian "Sheriff" in exchange for the loyalty of Moldovan officials and politicians and does Igor Dodon have a conscience?

- Oleg, would you dare to name the names of those Moldovan statesmen and politicians who were and are still “supported” by Mr. Gushan and the “Sheriff” holding?

“This is not a matter of courage. If I reliably possessed such information, I would certainly name these names. But with a fairly high degree of probability I can assume that, unfortunately, there are such politicians in Chisinau. And not only in Chisinau.

- Is it true that Igor Nikolayevich Dodon needed you before his presidency and before your arrest and sentence in 2018? In order, so to speak, to receive additional “bonuses” from the Transnistrian voters? And then, as it seems to me (and not only me. And not only in Chisinau. And not only in Tiraspol..), Igor Nikolaevich Dodon successfully used and forgot you. Is that so, or have I misunderstood your current relationship with Mr Dodon?

- We agreed that we will have an honest conversation, so I want to say that you, to put it mildly, incorrectly formulated the question.

I communicated with Igor Dodon not because he needed something from me, but because I myself considered such communication necessary and useful for the interests of the citizens of Transnistria.

I am, perhaps, the only politician in Transnistria who, since the mid-90s, has publicly advocated for an open dialogue between politicians from both banks of the Dniester, primarily for solving the everyday problems of our citizens. At one time, I communicated with many politicians from the right bank: Vladimir Voronin, Mark Tkachuk, Igor Tulyantsev, Grigory Petrenko, deputies of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova from different periods. And Igor Dodon, in this case, was no exception. This is the first point.

Another one. There was no agreement between us, as politicians, that he would protect me, save me from jail, and so on. Therefore, the way he behaved after my arrest was solely his decision and a matter of his conscience.

The third point. However, as a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, I hoped that President Igor Dodon would take a more significant part not so much in the case of Oleg Khorzhan, but in protecting the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of Transnistria. In protecting Transnistria from the arbitrariness of the "Firm" and its owners.

Transnistrian top echelon officials took part in fabricating my criminal case and passing a deliberately unjust verdict: Mova, Guretsky, Brynzar, Penkovsky - the whole gang of Viktor Anatolyevich Gushan ... The Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Moldova opened a criminal case, and nothing else was done ...

The strategic mistake of Igor Dodon, in my opinion, was precisely that instead of protecting the citizens of Transnistria, to put it mildly, he flirted with the regime that robbed and humiliated these citizens. And it continues to steal and humiliate us ...

- Do you think Igor Dodon "leaked" and abandoned you at the delicate but persistent request of Mr. Krasnoselsky or Mr. Gushan?

- Why Igor Dodon chose this option, only he knows ...

- How many percent out of a hundred do you give that Mr. Dodon and his comrades will pull you out of the Transnistrian torture chambers?

- I think this question is also for him.

"The case of Oleg Khorzhan": bonuses, dividends and advantages. For everyone ...

- Oleg, we are far from being naive young men, so let's turn our next block of questions and answers into a kind of steep roller coaster. So, it has long been known that high-profile political processes cause no less resonance. And many are trying - this is our mortal life - to earn state, political, financial, reputational and other dividends from these processes. You and your business are no exception to this rule. This question is going to be a long one, so I'll break it down ...

So, how can the “case of Oleg Khorzhan” help the current President of the Republic of Moldova Maya Grigorievna Sandu in her negotiations with Tiraspol?

- I would answer this question somewhat broader than the scope of the negotiation process alone.

I have already told you that I have been in Transnistrian politics for almost 30 years. During this period, the republic experienced different times. There was, of course, dissatisfaction with the authorities, which led in 2011 to the fall of Igor Smirnov and the election of Yevgeny Shevchuk to the presidency. And in 2016 - already to the fall of Shevchuk and the election of Krasnoselsky to the post of head of the PMR. But the citizens of Transnistria have never had such hatred, in the literal sense of the word, as towards the current Transnistrian elite. Therefore, our people will treat with respect and gratitude any politician who can stop this horror and mess. Who will help to cope with the monopoly. Who will defend human rights and release political prisoners from prisons.

- Moscow, Kremlin, Putin?

- I have already spoken about the Russian Federation. I think that the current regime in Transnistria seriously discredits the Russian leadership and does irreparable harm to the national interests of Russia itself. Including the problem of political prisoners in Transnistria.

- And how can the "case of Oleg Khorzhan" help President Sandu in her confrontation with Igor Dodon and his Party of Socialists?

- I have already answered this question.

- What advantages can the "case of Oleg Khorzhan" bring to our neighbors - Ukraine and Romania?

- What Romania will get from this, I do not know. As for Ukraine, a large number of its citizens live on the territory of Transnistria. Therefore, I think Ukraine should care how they live here.

- And what about the Brussels commissars and officials?

- If the protection of human rights, the protection of civilized values, concern for the fate of political prisoners for European and American politicians is not an empty phrase, then, in my opinion, they should, first of all, pay attention to what is happening in Transnistria. Moreover, as far as I know, many of the assets of the Transnistrian oligarch are located in Western countries.

- And Washington? Especially after the recent statements by Mr. Biden about his full support for Kiev in the event of aggravation of relations between Ukraine and Russia?

- God forbid we live to see the time when Russia will be forced to fight with Ukraine! I think that in these conditions, Washington will have no time for Transnistria.

- Is Mr. Zyuganov from Moscow still on your side? Does he help in some ways: advice, food parcels, financial support for your family?

- Yes, and it helps quite seriously. Zyuganov is not just a very experienced and wise politician, he is highly respected by the top leadership of the Russian Federation. I think it is largely due to his efforts that I am still alive. Gennady Andreevich constantly raises before the leadership of Russia not only the question of my release, but also the main problem of the entire Transnistria, for which we are very grateful to him. By the way, this is also done by his team - deputies of the State Duma Kazbek Taisayev, Leonid Kalashnikov and Dmitry Novikov.

- Oleg, I will not hide the fact, some people from the inner circle of President Sandu, with whom I communicate, delicately and confidentially hinted to me that some of her advisers, whom she instructed to understand and delve into all the subtleties of the "case of Oleg Khorzhan", purposefully and cynically fool the president on this case. They “pull the cat by the tail” and mess with papers... If only Sandu knew the whole truth about you and your case. Would you like to continue my train of thought?

- Not. I do not want. The relationship within the team of Maya Sandu is solely her business. Although, as far as I know, it was in recent months that the "case of Oleg Khorzhan" and the issue of human rights violations in Transnistria received a very serious development...

About the role of the main African American of our region in the "case of Oleg Khorzhan" and what to expect from Prosecutor General Stoyanoglo?

- Why don't you finish these ordeals and ask for the support of the US Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova Derek Hogan? I think this is the only person in our region who frightens the entire Gushan-Krasnoselsky-Mova triad.

- I am sure that the US Ambassador knows this story very well. By the way, the United States is one of the first countries to recognize me as a political convict. Back in 2019, in the report of the US State Department, my case was designated as political, with all the ensuing consequences.

- Do you have at least one objective and reasonable explanation why the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Moldova, Alexander Dmitrievich Stoyanoglo, does not want to officially meet with your parents, family and your lawyer?

- The Prosecutor of the Republic of Moldova met with my parents in the fall of 2020. For now, that's all I can say. Let the rest remain intrigue

- Oleg, what do you think, after this interview is published and sent to several thousand addressees - in Chisinau, Comrat, Tiraspol, Moscow, Kiev, Bucharest, Brussels, Washington, what can happen to you: they will shoot you, "you will suddenly die", or at least be back to the punishment cell?

- Anything can happen. But there is a very good proverb that is applicable here in every sense: if you’re afraid of the wolves - do not go to the forest. In any case, it seems to me that any decent person should be disgusted with being afraid of Gushan and his entourage. Moreover, it is unworthy of a man.

- Since we managed to have such a sincere and confidential conversation, what would you like to wish your relatives and those people who continue to believe in you?

- To my family?  Patience. First of all, patience. It is worthy to walk this path, no matter how difficult it may be. And I want to thank people, Transnistrians, for their support. We will definitely free our native Transnistria from this evil. It's just a matter of time. And, no matter how trite it may sound, it only depends on us when this happens. The sooner we all realize that a lot depends on each individual person, the sooner we refuse to live according to the principle of “my house is on the far edge of the village,” the sooner we will find a normal, dignified life.

And yet, there is no need to be afraid of this mode. Gushan, Krasnoselsky, Mova and their whole company are strong only by our fear. They can imprison one, ten, one hundred people. But they are powerless against the whole nation. It’s not me who’s talking about this, the history of the development of any society, any country, has something to say about it.

From the author. Well, Mr. Krasnoselsky, your antipode said what he did. Oleg Khorzhan turned out to be a tough guy. With something made of titanium. Unlike his former colleagues in the Supreme Council.

The ball is in your field. Will you keep quiet, as usual? Frightened by a frank and not "sleek" dialogue? Or will act like a real leader, man, officer, general?

Let's talk, Vadim Nikolaevich!

Artur Efremov, journalist.

Tags: Oleg Khorjan | Transnistria | Transnistrian Moldovan Republic | Victor Gushan