European Court of Human Rights finds Moldova guilty in new torture case

Moldova lost more than 60 cases in the ECHR, with Transdniester only having lost a single one

CHISINAU (Tiraspol Times) - Moldova's Communist-led government lost again in Europe's main human rights court, having been found guilty of serious violations of the rights of its citizens.

This week the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found the government of Moldova guilty in the cases of “Ciorap v. Moldova” and “Botnari v. Moldova”, obliging it to pay the plaintiffs a total of nearly EUR 25,000 in damages.

One of the cases involved torture of plaintiff Tudor Ciorap who suffered inhuman conditions during imprisonment in Chisinau and was subjected to force-feeding after he went on a hunger strike protesting his treatment. Moldova had refused to allow domestic authorities to examine his complaint concerning force-feeding. In addition, Ciorap was subjected to censorship of correspondence and family visits were obstructed while he was held in jail.

The international court ruled that there have been violations of articles 3 (prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment), 6 § 1 (right of access to court), and 8 (interference in personal life and censorship of correspondence). It ordered Moldova's government to pay Ciorap EUR 20,000 for damages and EUR 1,150 for costs and expenses.

Moldova loses two cases in same week

This was not the only serious human rights case that Moldova lost this week. On the same day, in the case of Botnari v. Moldova, the Court also found Moldova's government guilty of violations of articles 6 § 1 and 13.

So far, the Moldovan Government has lost 60 cases in Strasbourg. According to Chisinau based news agency Info-Prim Neo total damages amount to EUR 800,000; equivalent to $1,070,000 USD.

Transdniester has only lost one case compared to the sixty cases which Moldova lost. In Transdniester's case, dealing with the imprisonment of a group of killers who claimed political status, the subjects who brought the case have already been released.

Transdniester, which is officially called Pridnestrovie according to its Constitution, has a human rights ombudsman and has consistently rejected joining Moldova.

" - Moldova is really not the kind of country that anyone in his or her right mind would want to be part of," says Petru Gladchi, a civil rights activist from Tiraspol, PMR. "So please don't force us into that sort of an unwanted marriage."

In Transdniester it is possible for ordinary citizens to petition the Constiutional Court directly and ask for laws to be reviewed or overturned. No such possibility exists in Moldova. (With information from Info-Prim Neo)

See also:
» Increase in torture cases in Moldova leaves human rights groups powerless
» Amnesty International warns of Moldova human rights abuses