State must devote garter attention to tortured persons, NGO

The Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria” urges the administration of Moldova to pay greater attention to persons who were subjected to torture. According to the Center's executive director Ludmila Popovici, the April 7, 2009 events constituted an apogee of the phenomenon of torture in Moldova, when it was used as a political instrument, Info-Prim Neo reports . “Persons were beaten over the ears until the eardrum broke or the internal ear was affected. We fear some of them will need hearing aids or very costly operations,” Ludmila Popovici said in a news conference. According to her, about 80% of the persons with whom the Center “Memoria” works are victims diagnosed with cranial-cerebral traumas. “In April, torture was used with brutality. Many persons were hit powerfully in the head. We are trying to help these persons and supervise them for a longer period of time,” said Ludmila Popovici. A number of 120 victims of the April 7, 2009 events benefit from social and legal assistance at the Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria”. The Center's beneficiaries total 400 persons. The Center “Memoria” is a nongovernmental organizations founded 10 years ago to contribute to the rehabilitation of the victims of political repression, refugees and asylum seekers.