The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has today pronounced its judgment in the case of Victor Savitchi vs. Moldova, finding that the Moldovan police had mistreated the plaintiff, also a former police inspector, Info-Prim Neo reports. The case concerned Savitchi's allegation that he was beaten by the police when arrested for taking a bribe in August 2000. The video recording on which the plaintiff relied shows that he was surrounded by police officers, kicked in his chest, liver and lower back, while his hands were twisted. The same video shows the officers taking from the suspect's shirt pocket a sum of $4,000, which the inspector had allegedly asked as bribe in exchange for a favor in one of his cases. However, the former inspector asserted he didn't accept the bribe, claiming the money was put in his shirt pocket by police officers during the struggle. In 2001, the Balti Regional Court acquitted the applicant of bribe-taking, concluding that the evidence against the applicant had been obtained in breach of procedural safeguards. It also noted from the recording of the arrest that the applicant had been surrounded by police officers, who had twisted his hands and kicked him. However the judgment was later quashed, the case retried and Savitchi sentenced to 10 years in prison. The ECHR has awarded the plaintiff 6,000 euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage and 2,000 euros for costs and expenses. According to Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of human rights, torture and ill-treatment remain widespread and systemic in Moldova, while victims have great difficulty in pursuing their complaints and getting redress. Other deficiencies include the lack of resources for police work and pressure to send as many cases as possible to court, encouraging police investigators to resort to force.