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The European Court for Human Rights communicated to the Governments of the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation the case of Vadim Pogorlețchi, a Russian citizen, detained illegally, in inhuman conditions, in the Hlinaia “prison” in the Transnistrian region.

Between 2000 and 2008, Mr. Pogorlețchi administered several social-political publications in the region, including: “Днестровский Курьер”,”Руский рубеж”,”Новый днестровский курьер”, and “Руский прорыв”. Most of the materials published in these papers were political commentary and criticized the regime in Tiraspol.

On 3 May 2010, Vadim Pogorlețchi was seized by representatives of the so-called customs service of the region at the “Pervomaisk” border crossing post. He was later transported and put in the basement of the “isolator for preventive detention of the militsia Department” of Tiraspol, where he was detained in inhuman conditions. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 7 years in jail, in a strict-regime prison.

The applicant filed a complant to the European Court claiming violation of his rights under Article 3 of the Convention, namely his extended illegal detention, anti-sanitary detention conditions, and absence of medical care during detention, which had irreversible negative effects on his health; Article 5 of the Convention, namely his arrest by persons who did not have the legal authority to do so, and his extensive detention in absence of legal grounds, decided by an illegal court; and Article 13 of the Convention with regard to the absence of effective national remedies for the violations claimed by the applicant under Articles 3 and 5 of the Convention.

Promo-LEX has regularly drawn attention to the illegality of detention in Transnistrian region, and to the inhuman and degrading conditions in the respective detention facilities. In November 2013, a Report was launched with the topic: “Torture and Ill Treatments in the Republic of Moldova, including its Transnistrian region: Assumed Problems and Eluded Responsibility”, conducted by an international mission of FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), which contains several conclusions regarding the conditions of detention in Moldovan prisons, including in detention facilities of the Transnistrian region.

Lawyers and legal advisers from the Promo-LEX Association represent the applicant before the European Court for Human Rights.

For details contact: Alexandru Postica, Promo-LEX Program Director, lawyer, tel: (22) 450-024, GSM: 069-104-851, email: [email protected].