The situation concerning the observance of human rights stagnated in 2019. Things in the field neither worsened nor improved compared with 2018, ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai stated in an interview for IPN.
Mihail Cotorobai noted the role of the ombudsperson is to monitor the situation to see if the authorities observe the human rights and freedoms. The violation of the right to a fair trial was among the most serious human rights violations in 2019. This refers to such aspects as the efficient and independent functioning of the courts of law and implementation of court judgments. “It seems that a person was done justice, but this got nothing from the court decisions,” stated the ombudsman.
He noted that there is no regulatory framework concerning hate crime. He said he made multiple approaches to have the necessary framework adopted. The right to health is also violated.
The individual liberty and security were violated by the excessive use of preventive detention. The freedom of expression, lack of safety among journalists and sometimes the punishment for what was published are also among the problematic aspects. “The persons with disabilities are also affected. First of all, it comes to social accessibility and also to information accessibility. And not only in 2019, but also now. Do you see information being furnished to the persons with disabilities?” asked Mihail Cotorobai.
According to the ombudsman, injustice and unfairness derive from all these findings and they affect human rights.
The conclusions can be found in the ombudsman’s report on the human rights situation for 2019. The report was transmitted to Parliament and is to be examined in a plenary sitting.
The interview is part of IPN Agency’s project “Injustice in sight through multimedia”. The partner of the project is the Lawyers Union of Moldova.
