Representatives of a number of civil society organizations said the “April 7, 2009” case is a failed one. All the persons with responsible posts were acquitted or the charges against them were dropped. All those who used torture escaped punishment. Twelve years have passed since those tragic events, but the over 600 persons who were maltreated, detained and beaten cruelly didn’t benefit from independent and equitable justice. They were held in inhuman conditions, without water and food. At least five persons lost their lives in suspicious conditions. However, the state assumed responsibility for only one death, says a common call of a number of NGOs that was issued in connection with the commemoration of the victims of the April 7, 2009 events, IPN reports.
The call reminds of the 108 complaints about the abuses committed by decisions makers and police officers recorded by the Prosecutor’s Office. It notes that the ECHR convicted Moldova in eight cases concerning the April 7, 2009 case, while over 40 applications are pending.
The signatory organizations say that after many years since those events, the persons holding responsible posts continued to serve at different state institutions as they benefitted from impunity or were acquitted. Hundreds of victims of torture and their relatives remained traumatized for life and didn’t get any real support from the state, except for pecuniary compensations that were much lower than the caused damage.
“It is inadmissible that the multiple international obligations of the Republic of Moldova concerning “zero tolerance” remain unfulfilled. The multiple recommendations addressed to the Government of the Republic of Moldova by specialized institutions of the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE etc. were practically ignored,” says the call.
The signatories ask the authorities to put into practice the “zero tolerance” for torture principle, to improve the legislation and to take the necessary institutional measures to root out torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and not to allow impunity, to make effort to ensure the right to rehabilitation of the victims of torture and to present public apologies to each citizen who suffered directly or indirectly during the dramatic and illegal events of April 2009.
The signatories of the call request the development partners, primarily the People’s Assembly of the Council of Europe and the United Nations Organization, to assess the implementation level of the resolutions and recommendations formulated for ensuring an efficient investigation, bringing those to blame to justice and not allowing impunity.
The signatory organizations are: Amnesty International Moldova, Promo-LEX Association, the Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria” and the Legal Resources Center from Moldova. The list is open for signing.
