Anna Mamei, chair of the Tiraspol Court, was not allowed to enter the Republic of Moldova after she apparently produced an unrecognized passport. The woman was flying back from Russia via Yerevan.

The Border Police told IPN that crossing the state border is not allowed with documents issued by the de facto authorities of the Transnistrian region, as they are not officially recognized and are not part of the approved list of travel documents.

“The decision to authorize the crossing of the state border rests with the Border Police officer at the checkpoint, who analyzes the situation for each individual traveler, depending on the documents produced and the declared purpose”, said Raisa Novițchi, spokesperson for the Border Police.

Contacted by IPN for a comment, representatives of the Reintegration Policy Bureau confirmed it is the Border Police officers who verify whether the requirements for entry into the territory of the Republic of Moldova are met. The Bureau added that anyone who thinks that the refusal of entry was groundless has the right to challenge the decision in the manner prescribed by the law.

According to local press reports, Anna Mamei was returning from a private visit to her daughter, who lives in St. Petersburg. De facto authorities in Tiraspol called the incident “a gross violation of universal human rights and freedoms”.