The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has fined the Moldovan Government in five more cases against it and obliged the State to pay about 50,000 euros for damages. The Government was found guilty of violating Article 10 of the European Convention, which guarantees the freedom of expression, in the case of “Timpul Info-Magazin and Anghel v. Moldova”. The plaintiffs complained about defamation proceedings against them following the publication of an article in January 2004 which criticised the lack of transparency about a Government practice of purchasing luxury cars. Following the proceedings, Timpul was compelled to close down. The Court awarded the plaintiffs 13,800 euros for damages. In another case the plaintiff is Petru Popovici, alias Micu, allegedly a mob boss operating in Chisinau in late 90’s, who is currently serving a life sentence in Rezina Prison. The Court found that there had been violations, among others, of Article 3 (prohibition of torture) and Article 5 (right to liberty and security), and obliged the State to pay the plaintiff 15,500 euros. In the case of “Ursu v. Moldova”, the plaintiff, Mihai Ursu, was arrested on 31 March 2004 on suspicion of murdering the son of Eugenia Ostapciuc in 1993. The Court held that there had been a violation of Article 5 (right to liberty and security) of the European Convention and awarded Ursu 5,000 euros in respect of damages. In the case of “David v. Moldova”, the plaintiff, Gheorghe David, was found guilty in 1987 of criticising the Soviet authorities and of expressing the view that Moldova had been occupied by the Soviet Union and that it should reunite with Romania. On the basis of a medical report ordered by the Soviet courts, he was declared mentally unsound and sent for forced treatment in a psychiatric hospital in eastern Ukraine. He was held there for one year, after which he was released and obliged to continue his treatment in Chisinau. ECHR found the violation of the same article and awarded David 4,000 euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage. Lawyer Dorel Turcan has obtained another victory in Strasbourg. Earlier, the Court held that the Moldovan authorities had not given relevant and sufficient reasons for his detention in October 2005 - February 2006. In the judgement announced on Tuesday, the Court has found the Sate guilty of detaining Turcan after that period and awarded the plaintiff 11,000 euros for damages. The Moldovan Government has lost more than 100 cases in Strasbourg, being obliged to pay some 1.8 million euros for damages.