Moldova lags behind in ensuring human rights, “Promo-LEX”

Moldova lags behind in ensuring the observance of human rights event if the situation has slightly improved. The fourth Human Rights in Moldova Report launched by the Association “Promo-LEX” says most of the problems are experienced in ensuring the rights of the detainees and children, preventing domestic violence and banning discrimination, Info-Prim Neo reports. The report compiled by a group of experts of nine NGOs was presented in a roundtable meeting themed “Situation of Human Rights in Moldova: civil society asks, authorities answer” on October 18. During the event, the Association’s chairman Ion Manole said the worst situation is witnessed in Moldova’s Transnistrian region, where about 1 million people are discriminated as regards equal treatment before the law and access to the state institutions and services. He stressed that Moldova also lags behind in such areas as justice and the fight against corruption. The people do not trust the judicial system and this is serious. Domestic violence is another problem experienced in Moldova. The Association’s jurist Lilia Potang said domestic violence is a social, not private problem. Each fourth woman is subject to violence. The women can be protected by restraining orders, which are yet issued with difficulty. “The delay in issuing the restraining orders is problem. The order is issued within 3-4 weeks. During this period, the victims are subject to violence,” said the jurist. “Promo-LEX” recommends creating a common register of such cases in order to prevent domestic violence. Another jurist of the Association, Vadim Vieru said that Moldova does not ensure the rights of the detainees. The crowdedness in prisons is the most serious problem. Moldova cannot ensure the European standards of minimum 4 square meters for a convict. The prisoners are also inappropriately fed. One of the authors of the study, Sorina Macrinici, of the Legal Resource Center, said the detainees are ill-treated mainly when they are in police custody and held in remand centers, with the aim of extracting self-incriminating statements. Civil society recommended transferring the remand centers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Justice. But the Ministry of Justice does not want to take the remand centers over as it does not have sufficient financial resources to maintain them and ensure the observance of prisoners’ rights. The Human Rights in Moldova Report is produced once in two years and is submitted to the authorities.