The Governments of Moldova and Russia were sued at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the illegal detention of two Moldovan entrepreneurs by the unconstitutional administration of the Transnistrian region. Vitalii Besleaga and Serghei Bevziuc, co-founders of the company “Varnita Unicum”, have been held in inhuman conditions in Transnistria since November 15, 2013.

In a news conference at IPN, the representative of “Promo-LEX” Association Alexandru Postica said that a complaint was already submitted to the ECHR and, even if the institution hasn’t yet pronounced on such individual cases from Moldova, when the Governments of the two states were informed that the ECHR will examine the case, measures were taken and the Moldovans were set free from illegal detention.

Vitalii Besleaga was chosen as councilor in Varnita village, which is situated in the Security Zone and is administered by the constitutional authorities. When the Transnistrian administration decided to set up a customs post near the village and the people opposed it, he was on the spot. As a result, pressure started to be exerted on the company that he co-founded. His business partner Serghei Bevziuc is the director of a similar company that was started in Transnistria in order to get rid of the pressure from the unconstitutional regime.

Alexandru Postica said the two were arrested for political reasons, only because Besleaga opposed the setting up of the post near Varnita, while Bevziuc is a collateral victim, being used to accuse Besleaga of giving bribe.

The two have serious health problems and the fact that they are held in inhuman conditions affects them more seriously. Viitalii Besleaga suffers from sugar diabetes and must be permanently under the supervision of an endocrinologist, while Serghei Bevziuc needs surgery immediately.

The two Moldovan entrepreneurs have been held illegally in Tiraspol for over 8 months and a local court on July 30 extended the arrest warrant against them for two more months.