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No improvements were made in the first half of 2017 year with regards to the rights of citizens from the left bench of Nistru river. However, Promo-LEX found that progress may be achieved in case nongovernmental organisations, journalists and lawyers would be allowed to work unhindered, and if people guilty of human rights violations would be held liable.

The freedom of movement, the right to education and to the right to property are frequently infringed in Transnistrian region. For instance, the 33 illegal customs check-points are a source of direct impediments against freedom of movement, including the filling-in of “migration cards.” Moreover, there are still applicable the lists of persona non-grata, which are amended with no clear criteria.

50€ fine for the use of Latin alphabet

The right to education has multiple restrictions imposed by the so-called authorities from the breakaway region, particularly when it comes about the Latin script. Thus, the mere use of the Latin alphabet for the “Moldovan” language is punishable by a fine of 50 euro. Similarly, in the case of the High School “Evrica” of Râbnița town, which has a Romanian language teaching curricula, the institution is under the obligation to pay over 30.000 euro a year for renting the premises.

Thousands of farmers are not getting back their lands, for 13 years

The inhabitants of Dubăsari district were left with no croplands for 13 years already, whilst the so-called administration of Tiraspol gave these lands for rent to local businessmen. The problem gets even bigger when an important detail is brought into light – the surface of the lands is about 6.000 hectors, which makes it almost half of the surface of this district.

No tangible results delivered by the authorities

Although the President Igor Dodon has apparently established a friendly relationship with representatives of the Tiraspol regime, following his meetings with Putin and other officials of Kremlin administration no concrete approaches resulted. At their turn, civil servants of the Bureau of reintegration, following some 50 meetings with external partners, no efficient mechanism was established on monitoring and ensuring human rights in the region. Moreover, in the first half of 2017 year, the European Court of Human Rights delivered four judgments on the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants from the left bench of Nistru river, thereby Russia was ordered to pay damages to the victims amounting to some 200.000 euro (!). On the other hand, following the judgment of the Constitutional Court of Moldova that declared as unconstitutional the stationing of any military troops or bases on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, managed and controlled by foreign states, Tiraspol simplified at its most the mechanism of acquiring the citizenship of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian republic for Russian soldiers.

The ECtHR – international court examining human rights violations in Transnistrian region

According to Promo-LEX, ”the judgments delivered by the ECtHR must be more strongly promoted by relevant institutions, so that there would be figured out efficient ways to monitor and defend human rights in Transnistrian region.” Otherwise, there is a perpetuation of the situation whereby those who are in need of help are discouraged to ask for it, and those guilty of trespassing the law are not held liable.

However, the findings made by the experts might have a way to be tackled speedier in case international organisations (United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union) would put pressure on the regional administration, in order for journalists, nongovernmental organisations and lawyers – including those from the right bench of Nistru river – would not be hindered in their work in the region. As a result, the experts would be able to come up with explicit and good solutions in order to safeguard human rights in Transnistrian region.

Monitoring human rights in Transnistrian region is carried out by Promo-LEX within the project ”Promoting human rights in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova” financed by the National Endowment for Democracy. For more details, feel free to read the report here.