Moldovan Government found guilty by ECHR in seven more cases

The European Court of Human Rights today pronounced judgements condemning the Government of Moldova in seven cases. The State will have to pay the plaintiffs damages totalling EUR 42,500 for human rights violations. In the case of Colibaba vs. Moldova, the plaintiff, Vitalie Colibaba of Chisinau, was arrested in April 2006 on charges of assaulting a police officer. Relying on Article 3 and Article 13 of the European Convention of Human Rights, Colibaba complained that he was victim of severe police brutality and that the authorities failed to carry out an adequate investigation into his allegations. The Court awarded the plaintiff EUR 16,500 for damages and costs. In the case of Turcan and Turcan vs. Moldova, the plaintiffs were the president of the commercial bank Victoriabank, Victor Turcan, and the bank’s lawyer Dorel Turcan. In 2005 the plaintiffs were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to take a bribe. Both applicants complained that the Moldovan courts had not given relevant and sufficient reasons for their detention, in breach of Article 5 § 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to liberty and security). The State was obliged to pay the plaintiffs EUR 9,000 for damages. Also today, ECHR announced the judgment in the case of Petru Stici, who was arrested on suspicion of murdering the son of ex-Speaker Eugenia Ostapciuc. The Court held that there has been violation of the right to liberty and security and fined the State EUR 5,000. The Court also found Moldova guilty of violating the right to freedom of expression in the case of the Chisinau-based Flux newspaper. In other three cases, the Government of Moldova was found guilty of violating Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair hearing), and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property).