Convicts from Moldova will know their rights better

Convicts from Moldova will know better their rights and obligations with the help of an information guide that is distributed, in July–August, in all the penitentiaries from Moldova. According to UNDP press release, the Guide „Fundamental Rights and Obligations of the Convicted” includes legal provisions regarding the right to mail, which cannot be censured when the convicted addresses a letter to his lawyer, Complaint Committee, prosecution, court, authorities of the central public administration, international inter-governmental organizations that ensure protection of fundamental human rights and freedom. The guide also contains a list of national non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights, providing assistance to sentenced persons. Thus, beside the information guide, the convicts will get envelopes and stamps with prepaid tax, paper and pencils for ensuring the right to mail. At the same time, all libraries from the penitentiaries of the country will get a set of compendiums of the international documents in human rights. According to the authors, the need of such a campaign is due to changes made in the national legislation concerning convicts. The publication is published within UNDP Project „Assistance in implementing PNADO” in cooperation with the Penitentiary Institutions Department (DIP). Moldova has 18 penitentiaries where about 8,800 persons are detained. In order to improve the access to information of the detained persons, DIP installed in 2005-2006 a radio network in 5 preventive arrest prisons.