Venera Gasparean, a leader of the Armenian community in Moldova, has come into the possession of video segments that, she claims, prove the negligent attitude of Penitentiary Nr. 13 staff towards her son, David Davitean, after he had been savagely beaten two months prior. The woman calls prosecution bodies to take these videos into consideration.

In a press conference at IPN, Venera Gasparean said her son has been savagely beaten for four hours, with planks and aluminum batons, and has suffered numerous injuries: fractures, tumors, and cranial fissures. He is not allowed to receive parcels, has been poorly fed, and is not allowed to see his family. “There was an attempt on my son’s life,” said Venera Gasparean.

The woman claims that these acts are abetted by Penitentiary Nr. 13 chief Igor Pântea and a person named Stas, Gheorghe Cavcaliuc’s bodyguard, deputy chief of the General Police Inspectorate. As of yet, no criminal file has been initiated on the aggression of her son.

Th efamily’s lawyer Alexandr Bodnariuc explained that the videos show the moment when David Davitean was taken to the hospital, after the beating. When the man asked the doctor to contact his family, to communicate them about the state he was in, Penitentiary Nr. 13 staff forced David out of the office and thus concluded his medical consultation. “These videos clearly show the kind of medical assistance provided by the penitentiary, and the extent to which human rights are observed,” the lawyer said.

The family’s legal representative expressed his hope that, in September – when the Court of Appeals hearing in David Davitean’s case is scheduled – the Constitution of Moldova will be respected. Alas, from prior experience, “there is no Constitution for the prosecutors and judges working on David Davitean’s case,” the lawyer added.

After the assault on David Davitean, Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai has issued a press release, stating his regret concerning the authorities’ inadequate and disproportionate reactions to the mistreatment of Davitean, especially after the precedent of Andrei Brăguța, who died in the penitentiary. The Ombudsman concludes that the answers he was provided were formal and do not serve as proof of efficient investigations for prosecuting the guilty parties. Indifference and impunity generate new cases of mistreatment and assault in detention facilities, said the Ombudsman.