Supreme Court of Justice judge recognizes Transnistrian region as state, NGOs

A number of nongovernmental organizations demand disciplinarily punishing a judge of the Supreme Court of Justice or he should resign voluntarily. The NGOs condemn the attitude and behavior of the judge, who was to examine an appeal of persons held illegally by the Transnistrian authorities. According to a statement by the NGOs, the judge recognizes the Transnistrian region as a separate state, Info-Prim Neo reports. The judge is Sergiu Furdui, deputy head of the Penal Board of the Supreme Court of Justice. Last August, an appeal in the name of four persons imprisoned by the Transnistrian authorities was submitted to the Supreme Court of Justice. On October 24, the judge sent a letter to the signatories, saying it was not within the competence of the Supreme Court of Justice to examine the appeal against the decisions of the Bender town court and the Supreme Court of Moldova, as it is disputed a decision passed by the court of another state. The signatories consider that the judge violated the presumption of innocence, naming private individuals who are held illegally as ‘convicts’ and directly attacking the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial indivisibility of Moldova as he recognizes the existence of a self-claimed state on Moldova’s territory and of court decisions issued by Transnistrian illegal entities. The NGOs stress that the given facts show the legislation is interpreted or applied non-uniformly, intentionally or out of negligence, and reveals the existence of reasonable doubts about the unjustified refusal to do one’s duty. They demand that the judge should resign. If not, he should be penalized administratively. The signatories sent an application to the European Court of Human Rights in the name of the persons who were illegally deprived of freedom. The statement was signed by Promo-LEX Association, the Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria”, the Jurists for Human Rights Association, the Association of Mothers for Human Rights, and the Human Rights Embassy. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, the head of the apparatus of the Supreme Council of Magistrates Ecaterina Buzu said the Council’s position on this case will be made public after the NGO’s application is examined.