During the past ten years, the situation of the vulnerable groups in the Republic of Moldova, as regards the protection of their rights, freedoms and interests, hasn’t made progress that would be really felt by the victims of offenses motivated by hatred, prejudice and disdain or of hate speech, said Gheorghina Drumea, consultant of the National Roma Center. According to the lawyer, the existing legal framework makes the holding of those to blame accountable practically impossible.
In a news conference at IPN, there was presented a case when activist Vasile Sinigur a year ago made a video in which he expressed his disaffection with the activity of the then President Igor Dodon, giving a hate speech and formulating racist expressions insulting the Roma. Even if complaints were filed to the law enforcement agencies, the criminal case was ultimately dropped.
Gheorghina Drumea said this is only one situation of the multitude of cases of discrimination and violation of the human rights in which the victims were wronged. “It is not only a problem of the Roma ethnics. In general, it is a problem of the vulnerable groups and other minorities that are often victims of stereotypes and prejudice fueled in society, including by the authorities, decision makers that should normally defend them,” said the lawyer.
Ion Bucur, who heads the Center for the Rights of Roma based in the municipality of Chisinau, said the Prosecutor’s Office does not know or does not want to investigate cases that incite hatred against the Roma. There are more such cases, but they aren’t made public.
Dumitru Rusu, expert of the Coalition for Inclusion and Nondiscrimination, said a Roma family was periodically disconnected from the electricity supply. When the culprits were identified and he called the police, a criminal case was started but he was intimidated into withdrawing his complaint.
The expert said hate speech expands. In the election campaign, some of the election runners, in pursuit of power, resort to discrimination. He called on them to refrain from racist and hate speech and to include in their electoral programs very clear actions aimed at reducing interethnic social tensions that are often created artificially.
