Right to education in Transnistria continues to be violated after ECHR conviction

The principals of the schools teaching based on Latin script in Moldova’s Transnistrian region said that after the ECHR convicted Russia on October 19, the situation has worsened. The pressure and threats on the part of the region’s administration intensified, while the Moldovan constitutional authorities became more distant. ”The Government of Moldova does not understand what happened in October 19, while some are even angry with us. We expected another reaction as these persons who filed the application to the ECHR risked their lives. The Moldovan authorities keep silent as if nothing has happened,” the director of the Theoretical Lyceum “Stefan cel Mare” based in Grigoriopol, Eleonora Cercavschi, stated for Info-Prim Neo. She also said that the parents and teachers did everything possible to defend their right to self-determination and the right to study unhampered in the mother tongue, based on the Latin script. Now it is the authorities’ turn to do something. “We did what depended on us. We brought victory to Moldova, but nobody said at least thank you to us. We hope that this event will not be neglected and this day will be marked,” said Eleonora Cercavschi. The principal of the Bender Theoretical High School “Alexandru cel Bun” Maria Roibu said that they work in the same difficult conditions and the students are treated as badly as earlier. They continue to be intimidated. According to Maria Roibu, they hoped that the children will have access to literature in the Romanian language after this conviction, but this didn’t happen. Ion Popusoi, director of “Mihai Eminescu” Lyceum in Dubasari, said that things didn’t change as if Russia hadn’t been convicted. The Transnistrian administration made statements, saying the situation will improve, but nothing changed. On October 19, 2012, the ECHR convicted Russia in the case of the schools teaching in Latin script in Transnistria, eight years after the application was submitted. The Court held that Russia violated the right to education and that Moldova is not to blame for such a violation.