Justice Ministry sends extradition request to Moldovan authorities for former Deputy Cristian Rizea

The Ministry of Justice (MJ) informs that it sent a request, on Wednesday, to the Moldovan authorities for the extradition of the former Deputy Cristian Rizea, who is serving a 4-year and 8-month detention sentence in Romania.

According to a press release of the MJ, on April 25, 2019, the Ministry of Justice submitted the request for extradition from the Republic of Moldova of Cristian Rizea, in order for the former Deputy to carry his sentence of 4 years and 8 months detention in Romania. The sentence was pronounced by the High Court of Cassation and Justice in 2019.

According to the Ministry of Justice, this request was sent on May 3, 2019, to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova.

On June 7, 2019, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova sent an address to the Romanian Ministry of Justice, informing that the extradition procedure cannot be initiated, as Cristian Rizea is also a citizen of the Republic of Moldova.

The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova on Wednesday sent a letter to the Romanian Ministry of Justice, informing that, by the decree of the President of the Republic of Moldova of November 2, 2020, published in the Official Journal No. 285 of November 3, 2020, the Moldovan citizenship of Cristian Rizea was revoked.

The Ministry of Justice claims that it sent an extradition request to the Republic of Moldova on Wednesday, after President Igor Dodon withdrew Rizea's Moldovan citizenship.

Former PSD (Social Democratic Party) MP Cristian Rizea, who fled Romania after being convicted, was detained in Chisinau on Tuesday, and authorities have begun extradition proceedings.

In March 2019, former deputy Cristian Rizea was definitively sentenced by the High Court of Cassation and Justice to 4 years and 8 months detention for influence peddling, money laundering and influencing statements.