In Moldova’s jails, the detainees obey not the guards, but criminal groups led by so-called “thieves in law”. These have control and impose their own rules, with the tacit agreement of the administration. The detainees that refuse to obey or try to speak about the illegalities committed in penitentiaries are punished. They are beaten severely or fabricated criminal cases are started against them, said Vitalie Czine, chairman of the nongovernmental organization “Genavavita”, which defends the rights of detainees and ex-detainees.
“A person who gets there should live in the world of those thieves, by stealing. Groups are formed there and these rob the people when they are released. If you don’t want to obey these “laws”, you are maltreated or criminal cases are started against you,” Vitalie Czine said in a news conference at IPN.
According to the head of the NGO, the administration accepts the control imposed by the criminal authorities in penitentiary because they enjoy financial benefits from the sums collected by these groups into the ‘common’ fund of the detainees. The prisoners must pay for everything, for example if they want to sleep on the bed or to watch TV.
In the news conference, the chairman of “Genavavita” presented videos transmitted to him by a detainee of Penitentiary No. 2 of Lipcani, where this speaks about the poor detention conditions and the fact that the criminal authorities in that prison cultivate hemp and prepare drugs with the knowledge of the administration.
Vitalie Czine said that after the administration learned that the detainee transmitted images of hemp grown in the penitentiary to him it fabricated a criminal case against the man for the reason that he hit a guard. This fact is denied by the detainee and his cellmates. By such a move, the administration aims to modify the detention regime for this detainee into a more severe one and, consequently, to transfer him to another prison. The head of “Genavavita” filed a complaint to the Department of Penitentiary Institutions and the Prosecutor General’s Office. If these do not intervene, he is decided to go to international courts.
Vitalie Czine said the persons who broke the law and were jailed are offered the chance to reintegrate into society after they serve time in jail. The state should offer support and protection to those who do not want to join the criminal groups. In case of less serious offenses, the jail term can be replaced with the payment of damages. If these persons are allowed to work, the state and society will only gain.
