Fugitive Șor offers cash for protests amid police warnings
Moldovan police are warning citizens that promises of payment for participating in protests are a serious violation of the law and can lead to criminal liability.
The warning comes after convicted fugitive Ilan Șor announced on social media on Monday, August 11, that he would pay $3,000 per month to those who protest non-stop against the government in the Great National Assembly Square.
"Șor, the leader of a criminal organization, wants to involve citizens in illegal and violence-inciting activities. Participating in a protest for promises of payment is a serious violation of the law," the police statement said.
Law enforcement officials have specified that any deviation from the legal framework, including influencing participants through material rewards, will be documented and sanctioned, and any attempts to organize illegal actions will be thwarted.
Promises impossible to honor
Andrei Curăraru, a security policy expert, states that the amounts announced by Șor are unrealistic and financially unsustainable for any legitimate political party.
"At the Telegram rate, 1,000 people would cost as much as the entire 'orășelul schimbării' (city of change) for a whole year. No legitimate political party can finance such a thing. The promise is impossible to keep but perfect for attracting a crowd," Curăraru said.
According to the verdict in the case of Evghenia Guțul, participants in past protests organized by Șor's group were paid €20–€25 per day. In addition to these payments, food and transportation were provided, with total costs amounting to approximately €2 million per month.
The "offer" of $3,000 per month for each person, announced by Șor today, would mean a budget of €15 million per month for 5,000 protesters—"a sum impossible to cover from legal sources," Curăraru specified.
Ilan Șor, a fugitive who was definitively convicted in the "billion-dollar theft" case and is currently in Moscow, urged citizens in a video message to attend a protest on August 16, promising $3,000 per month to those who remain in the Great National Assembly Square "for as long as it takes."
It is worth noting that the Chișinău City Hall has not yet been notified about the organization of this protest. According to the law, a person who intends to hold an assembly must notify the local public authority in writing, through a preliminary declaration, at least five days before the date of the event.
Protests announced by Șor are part of Moscow's strategy to destabilize Moldova
In recent months, Moldovan authorities have repeatedly warned that the Russian Federation is planning an unprecedented interference in the parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025, with the aim of derailing the country’s European course and installing a pro-Kremlin government. According to President Maia Sandu, Moscow's strategy includes illegal financing estimated at around €100 million from cryptocurrencies alone, massive social media disinformation (especially on Telegram), paid protests, cyberattacks, the involvement of organized crime, and the use of the church to radicalize the population.
In this context, convicted fugitive Ilan Șor—considered one of the main vectors of Russian influence—is allegedly involved in schemes of electoral corruption, including through the "Taito" application and payments in cash or cryptocurrencies.
"Taito" is a digital trap used for electoral corruption and data theft, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), which has announced sanctions.
In recent years, Ilan Șor and his group have organized long-term protests in the center of Chișinău, which authorities have said were paid for to create pressure on state institutions. Șor also created the "Pobeda" political bloc in Moscow, which the Moldovan intelligence service and the General Prosecutor's Office consider an attempt to consolidate pro-Russian forces and undermine democratic elections in Moldova.
Ilan Șor was definitively convicted in Moldova in the bank fraud case. Although he is supposed to serve a 15-year prison sentence, he is currently at large in Moscow.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
