The human rights and freedoms of the people that live or cross the Transnistrian region are not observed, say authors of the study “Human Rights in Moldova’s Transnistrian Region” presented by Promo-Lex Association. At a news conference on March 13 hosted by Info-Prim Neo, the president of Promo-Lex Ion Manole, one of the study authors, said that all the events that had happened after the Moldovan-Russian Agreement of 1992 was signed have led to the exacerbation of the human rights situation. The region continues to be administered by the same group of persons that took over the control by military force. The region’s administration bases on a pyramidal system led by Igor Smirnov and exists owing to propaganda. It aims at creating an image of aggressor to Moldova and a positive image to the leaders of Tiraspol and Russia, which is a senior guarantor-state, said the association’s jurist Pavel Postica. The study authors say that a series of organizations meant to defend the human rights work in the region, but in fact they act as repressive bodies subordinated to Igor Smirnov. A number of military institutions in Transnistria are paid to hinder the population’s access to democratic values and to maintain a state of fear among the civil population. Pavel Postica says that the inhabitants of the region are forced to live according to the local laws that are mainly of Soviet-type and do not meet the international standards. The councils of people’s deputies created in every locality play a formal role, the jurist says. Under the local legislation, the decisions made by these councils can be implemented only by the district administrations appointed by Smirnov. According to Promo-Lex, the law enforcement bodies also seriously violate the human rights. Representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office have the right to take part in any meeting of the central and local administrations without specifying the aim. The militsia can supervise the persons released from prison. A residence visa-based system is still functional in the region. The persons that don’t live in the indicated place of residence can be held accountable, and this is a violation of the right to free movement. The study authors ascertained that the political, economic, social and cultural rights were also violated. Those about 400,000 Moldovan citizens that live in the region cannot take part in the elections announced by the constitutional authorities of Moldova. But the Transnistrian authorities allow opening polling stations for the Russians living in the region instead. There are a lot of customs posts, stable and mobile posts. The pensioners, invalids and the unemployed do not enjoy the rights provided by the Moldovan legislation. The libraries have no books in Latin script. The civil society is pressurized by the regime and subjected to control. While the residents of the right bank of the Nistru benefit from different development and modernization programs, the population of Transnistria is deprived of access to information about human rights, civil participation etc. The constitutional authorities and international organizations only ascertain the facts, but do not try to work out a method for defending the rights of the citizens, the study authors say. Alexei Mocreac, inhabitant of Grigoriopol district, said that the region’s residents had lived in terror during 17 years – all the enterprises, institutions that worked in the region as well as the ties between the two banks were destroyed. Alexei Mocreac is sure that Igor Smirnov pursues the goal of annihilating the personality of the people. For the purpose, the young people were drafted into Smirnov’s army. Those that refused were persecuted at the workplace. During many years, the factory employees had had to steal because they were paid only 3 dollars a month. Many of them were caught and kept in the preventive detention isolator, in rooms of up to 30 persons for at least 30 days. When set free, they had to pay the equivalent of 100 dollars. As a result, most of the young people living in the region, deprived of workplaces and living conditions, had to go abroad to work, Alexei Mocreac said. The study “Human Rights in Moldova’s Transnistrian Region” was carried out by a group of independent experts. The report was drawn up and published with the support of the Dutch Embassy through the Matra Kap Program.