Amnesty International claims that assaults on freedom of speech and assembly are usual occurrences in Moldova

The representatives of Amnesty International Moldova (AIM) blame municipal authorities of declining protest manifestations. They state that AIM will appeal the decision in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). On September, AIM forwarded a petition to the Chisinau City Hall, requesting authorization for protest manifestations in front of the embassies of the USA and Belarus, intended against death penalty in these states. The organization invited other 2 NGOs to join the manifestations – Hyde Park and GenderDoc-M. Evgheni Golosceapov, director executive of AIM, told a news conference Tuesday, October 10, that local authorities justified the refusal by alleging that these two organizations have another purpose than “protesting against death penalty”. Municipal authorities also claimed that these actions might lead to public disorder. Golosceapov considers these arguments groundless and in conflict with national and international legislation. AIM resorted to the Court of Appeal in order to solve the issue, but the Court declined the appeal. Lawyer Veaceslav Turcan says the decision will be appealed further, up to ECHR. “We are sure that we will win the case in Strasbourg”, he maintained. The participants in the news conference held a moment of silence for the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, murdered last week. Golosceapov considers this murder similar to Vlad Listiev’s.