The Moldovan authorities decided to alleviate the custody regime for the ex-minister, who had been convicted of abuse of office, after receiving an official request from European Court of Human Rights.
"The European justice expressed concern over the situation in Pasat's case after the defense has filed an official appeal against the actions of the Moldovan authorities," Pasat's lawyer Alexander Tenase said.
Pasat was arrested at Moldova's Chisinau airport on March 11, 2005. The prosecution said Pasat had closed a deal in 1997 to sell MiG-29 Fulcrum warplanes that caused the state losses totaling $53 million.
Prosecutors said Pasat had also concluded a deal to sell Uragan salvo-launching systems through a foreign firm at cut-rate prices, resulting in losses to the state of $1.8 million.
Pasat maintained that the case against him was "a political reprisal on the part of Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin."
The Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office denied the case was politically motivated.
The Moldovan Court of Appeals will hold the next hearing of Pasat's case on June 30.
