On Tuesday, April 3, the European Curt of Human Rights (ECHR), ruled in favour of the Moldova-registered “Slobozia-Hanesei” Agricultural Cooperative in a lawsuit against the Moldovan Government. The Cooperative initiated court proceedings against “Red-Centru” JSC and “Moldtranselectro” SE, claiming a debt of over MDL 23,000. On 26 April 2002, the Chişinău Economic Court adopted a judgment by which the defendants were ordered to pay the debt, but the judgment was not enforced. ECHR found that the plaintiff had its right to a fair hearing violated (Article 6 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights). The Court also held that there has been a violation of Article 1 of the Protocol 1 to the Convention (protection of property). The plaintiff was awarded about EUR 2,000, which is the equivalent of the sum owed by “Moldtranselectro” as pecuniary damage. The Moldovan Government has been fined by ECHR in over 55 cases so far, and was obliged to pay over EUR 700,000.