Moldova expels Russian diplomats accused of helping fugitive lawmaker

Moscow [Russia], April 1: Moldova on Monday declared three Russian embassy workers "personae non gratae," or undesirables, as tensions between the small eastern European country and Moscow escalate further.
The authorities' decision to expel the diplomats was based on clear evidence of activities that contradict diplomatic status, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The three embassy workers have been told to leave the country. It comes after Moldova's intelligence agency accused the Russian embassy and intelligence services of having helped Moldovan lawmaker Alexandr Nesterovschi to flee to the breakaway region of Transnistria to evade a prison term.
Nesterovschi was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment last week on corruption charges, according to media reports. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced an "appropriate and harsh response from the Russian side." (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune