Europe condemns Transnistria human rights abuses

The European Parliament has adopted on Thursday, July 12, a resolution condemning serious and continued human rights violations in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria. The unanimously adopted resolution reads that the 1992 war in Transnistria led to the establishment of a separatist and authoritarian regime in this region. The document also emphasises that the situation of the frozen conflict is being perpetuated and serious human rights violations continue. The EU Parliament expressed concern about the fact that no final solution has yet been found to the conflict in Transnistria, despite a large number of international decisions, which leads to the continued deterioration of the human rights respect in this region. In this regard, the resolution cites the latest example of manifest human rights violations in Transnistria, that is of the recent release of Tudor Petrov-Popa and Andrei Ivantoc, who were subject to degrading treatment and were prohibited from returning to their homes. According to the EU Parliament, “the arrest and detention under charges of terrorism of all the members of the so-called Ilascu group represented an illegal act of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities and did not correspond to international standards on the principles of fair trial, rule of law, respect of the rights of prisoners and prevention of torture and inhuman treatment”. The resolution recalls that “serious violations of human rights in Transnistria continue, particularly leading to the denial of the rights of Romanians with the closure of Romanian-language schools and the profanation of a Romanian cemetery in Transnistria, as well as the violation of the political rights and liberties of the whole population living in the area, resulting in widespread trafficking in human beings and organised crime”. MEPs "the release of Andrei Ivantoc and Tudor Popa, but deplores the fact that their release by the separatist regime of Tiraspol was declared as resulting from the expiry of their term of imprisonment, and not due to the implementation of the decision of the ECHR; condemns the fact that Andrei Ivantoc was subjected to violence and attacks on his human dignity upon his release, as film footage taken by witnesses to his release testifies". The resolution calls “for a greater involvement of the EU in solving this conflict in its immediate neighbourhood, including the enhancement of the EU’s status to that of a negotiating partner”. In addition, the resolution notes “the successful joint EU border mission with Ukraine based in Odessa and calls on the Government of Ukraine to continue its support for the mission”.