The rising number of complaints lodged with ECHR demonstrates that Moldova lacks an efficient human rights defence mechanism

29.10.2007 21:11
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The rising number of complaints against Moldova at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) shows that the country lacks an efficient mechanism that would give people an effective remedy in the domestic courts and relieve them of the burden of waiting years for a solution at the Court in Strasbourg, said Stanislav Pavlovschi, ECHR judge representing Moldova, in an interview with Timpul daily. The number of human rights violations in Moldova is indeed great, says the judge. Not recognising or ignoring this truth will not make the situation any better. On the contrary, there are things that can and must be changed. Keeping the situation as it is will benefit neither the government nor the people, says Stanislav Pavlovschi. At the same time, the judge remarks the important role that the civil society is playing in Moldova by proving that it will not tolerate violations of human rights. Stanislav Pavlovschi voiced hope that the judgments pronounced in Strasbourg will help Moldova’s Government find the existing gaps and close them. At the same time, the judge remarked that these judgments raise the level of legal literacy among the people of Moldova and serve as guidelines for legal professionals and law enforcers. Judge Pavlovschi mentioned that, as a rule, the Court examines the complaints in order of submission. At present the Court examines the applications lodged several years ago, with most of them being so-called “clones”, i.e. similar to those examined earlier. Over the past two weeks, the Government of Moldova lost 15 cases in Strasbourg, being obliged to pay large sums of money from the national budget for the mistakes of the domestic courts. According to ECHR’s database, up till now the Government of Moldova lost 91 cases. Last year the Court pronounced 46 judgments against Moldova, more than the total number of decisions announced in the previous years. Russia ranks first by the rate of complaints lodged versus judgements announced. However, in terms of complaints per capita of population, Moldova holds the first position, Judge Pavlovschi said. Currently, there are 1,743 pending cases against Moldova at the Strasbourg Court.