Inhuman treatment in Transnistrian penitentiaries

Promo-LEX Association reported a new case of inhuman treatment in a Tiraspol prison. A 34-year-old detainee had been on hunger strike for 45 days and is now in a serious condition. The administration of penitentiary No. 3 in Tiraspol does not pay attention to the requests of the relatives and the civil society, while the young man has already said goodbye to his close persons. Alexandru Zubko, the jurist of Promo-LEX Association, has told Info-Prim Neo that this is the second hunger strike in protest against the inhuman detention conditions and torture to which the prisoners are subjected. The jurist said the Transnistrian authorities did not answer the Association's request to put the young man in a separate room and administer treatment to him as he suffers from giddiness and often loses his balance. “The relatives told us that that the young man is in a very serious condition and he said goodbye to them as he cannot withstand anymore,” Zubko said. According to the jurist, the man is native of Tighina and has been in prison for a year. He was arrested by employees of the Transnistrian security ministry on suspicion of swindle. When the man was arrested, he was taken to the bank of the river Nistru and threatened with a gun. An officer put the gun to his temple and shot, but there were no bullets in it. Alexandru Zubko also said that the victim was constrained to accept blame, but he refused and his relatives started to be threatened. The European Court of Human Rights was informed about this case last month. Promo-LEX asked the Court to oblige the Government of Moldova to provide medical assistance to the victim. “We are waiting for an answer,” the jurist said. Last weekend, Promo-LEX informed that two prisoners of penitentiary No. 3 in Tiraspol went on hunger strike and were also in a critical condition. One of them cut his veins open in protest against inhuman treatment on March 12. Neither his relatives, nor the Association know in what state he is.