ECHR convicted Moldova in 29 cases last year

Moldova continues to lose cases over violation of human rights at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In 2009, the ECHR convicted Moldova in 29 cases, awarding about 140 million lei in damages to the plaintiffs, Info-Prim Neo reports. In 40% of the decisions, the Court ordered providing dwellings to certain groups of people. Until a month ago, the prosecutors, judges and other employees of the law enforcement bodies were entitled to receive free apartments. The mechanism for applying this law is yet nonfunctional as the state and the local budgets do not provide for funds for the purpose. About 13 million euros is needed to provide apartments for the mentioned groups in the municipality of Chisinau and 3 million euros in other parts of the country. Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase considers that most of the payments will have to be made in 2011. “The ECHR demands not only implementing its decisions on the provision of dwellings, but also solving the system problem,” Alexandru Tanase said. “A first step was taken in December 2009, when the Parliament of Moldova modified the law and freed the state from the obligation to allocate apartments to employees of the law enforcement bodies.”