Prosecutors are investigating an incident where security at a placement center in Chisinau are believed to have used tear gas on Ukrainian refugees of Roma origin. Following a complaint filed by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), prosecutors have a month to establish whether it was a case of hate crime against an ethnic minority, the RFE/RL Moldovan Service reported.
Ion Bucur, country facilitator at the ERRC, told RFE/RL the incident occurred on August 18, at the canteen of the placement center on Testemițanu Street. The center’s security reportedly tear-gassed the Roma refugees, before insulting them and leaving them without power supply.
The center’s administrator, who was subsequently fired, was said to have displayed “hostile” and “discriminatory” attitudes against the Roma, who were a majority among the residents. Bucur said it took the organization two months to document the case before filing a formal complaint to the Moldovan authorities.
In a report published April, the ERRC criticized the Moldovan authorities for “segregating” Roma refugees. After visiting three placement centers, including the one on Testemițanu Street, the organization found that Roma refugees lived in poor conditions, without access to hot water and other utilities, as well as health care. Similar criticism was also formulated by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report published in May.
