Representatives of Amnesty International Moldova say Penitentiary No. 13 is a jail of contrasts. These went to the prison to discuss with detainees, especially those from the penitentiary’s basement and disciplinary cells, IPN reports.

In a press release, the organization says the cells are overcrowded. The sanitary facilities are dirty and smell of sewer, while the airing system is not functional. However, there are also cells renovated at the expense of detainees. These are outfitted with fridges, TV sets, termopane windows and microwave ovens.

According to assessments by national and international experts, the detainees and their lawyers said the detention conditions in the penitentiary violate the basic human rights, this being the reason for hundreds of convictions by the ECHR.

Amnesty International Moldova reiterates the request to close Penitentiary No. 13 owing to the inhuman and degrading detention conditions there. Representatives of the organization note that even if the authorities have spoken about the building of a new penitentiary during many years, these have remained empty words.

Amnesty International Moldova says the right not to be subject to inhuman and degrading treatment is an absolute one, but this is violated in the Republic of Moldova, even if the country signed relevant international documents.