In connection with the pardon granted to the convict Șepeli Nicolai Andrei, and the subsequent revocation of the pardon decree, the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova has issued a series of clarifications, TRIBUNA reports.

“In March 2021, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Moldova submitted to the Presidency a request to examine, within its competence, the pardon applications of six persons convicted in the Russian Federation, including Șepeli Nicolai, who had been sentenced for attempted illegal circulation of narcotic substances for the purpose of distribution, committed in particularly large proportions.

In support of its request, the Prosecutor General’s Office stated that Șepeli Nicolai, along with the other individuals, was a victim of human trafficking. Under the pretext of being officially employed as a courier, he had been deceived, recruited and transported to the Russian Federation…”

The Presidency further notes that in October 2021, a second letter was received from the Prosecutor General’s Office informing the President’s Office that, at the request of the Moldovan prosecutors, on 15 June 2021 the competent authorities of the Russian Federation refused to initiate procedures for reviewing the convictions. “Under these circumstances, the Prosecutor’s Office reiterated its request to examine the opportunity of granting pardon based on the submitted applications,” the statement reads.

The request of the Prosecutor General’s Office was examined during the meetings of the Commission for the Pardon of Convicted Persons under the President of the Republic of Moldova, held on 27 December 2021 and 3 March 2022. The Commission, established in September 2021 as a collegial body composed of specialists in legal, medical, psychological and social fields, reviewed the pardon request and the materials available at that time and decided, on 9 March 2022, to recommend the pardon of Șepeli Nicolai.

Decree No. 418‑IX granting the pardon was signed on 11 April 2022, with a probation period applied to the unserved portion of the sentence. Granting a pardon with probation meant that the pardoned individual remained under the supervision of the probation authority for the remaining period and was obliged to comply with all legal conditions.

On 19 February 2026, following new information provided by the competent authorities — including indications that the pardoned individual was part of an organized criminal group suspected of preparing the assassination of individuals in Ukraine — a decree was issued revoking the earlier pardon. The execution of the decree has been entrusted to the competent authorities, which will act in accordance with the legal framework and within the limits of the law.

Between 2021 and 2024, the Commission for the Pardon of Convicted Persons under the President of the Republic of Moldova examined 640 pardon applications, of which 22 individuals (11 men and 11 women) were recommended for and granted pardon. In 2025, none of the examined applications were recommended for pardon.

“Pardon is an act of clemency that offers certain convicted individuals the opportunity for social reintegration, under strict compliance with the law, without diminishing the importance of upholding the rule of law or individual responsibility,” the Presidency emphasized.