Promo-LEX Association, which continuously monitors the situation of Romanian-language schools in Transnistria, finds out and expresses its concern about the increasingly dramatic situation faced by teachers, students and their parents.

According to the information provided by the director of the gymnasium in the Roghi village, Mrs Nadejda Ghidirimschi, the parents of 13 students enrolled in different classes, which represent 18% of the total number of students, decided (or were forced) to leave the institution, transferring their children to a gymnasium in Dubasari , subordinated to the Tiraspol administration.

These transfers are the result of the pressure and persecution from regional administration, having as its final objective to liquidate these educational institutions.

We remind that earlier, the “Lucian Blaga” school administration from Tiraspol city was repeatedly contacted and threatened with sanctions for failure to provide data about the institution’s employees. Recently, three school employees were illegally deprived of liberty, while the director is subject to an administrative case. A similar situation took place at the “Evrika” Lyceum from Rîbniţa city, where the administration of the institution was ordered to submit several accounting documents of the institution..

Subsequently, schools with Latin-script began to be harassed by companies providing services such as supply of electricity, gas, water. Schools administration was threatened that they will be disconnected from such services if they do not register at the separatist authorities. Obviously, the uncertainty in the high schools and the pressures on parents lead to the transferring of children from schools. The most severe actions were applied to “Lucian Blaga” school administration.

We regret the lack of visible and effective efforts from both constitutional authorities and the OSCE, which published a confusing report, uncoordinated with and unaccepted by the Ministry of Education, the schools with Latin-script from the Transnistrian region and civil society organizations. We believe that all responsibility should be assumed by those who recommended illegal and impossible solutions, offering to the illegal administration pretexts to renew its pressures and attacks on parents, students and teachers. Thus, the OSCE Mission to Moldova has the moral obligation to demand from the illegal administration from Tiraspol to guarantee and respect the constitutional and fundamental rights and freedoms of residents of the Transnistrian region of Moldova.

Promo-LEX Association repeatedly pointed the severe violations of the right to education in the region as well as on the defiance of the European Court of Human Rights’ Decision by the Russian Federation and the lack of decisive actions from the government in Chisinau to prevent the negative phenomena faced by these educational institutions.

For more details, please contact: Alexandru Postica, Lawyer, Human Rights Program Director, Promo-LEX Association: Tel: (22) 45 00 24, e-mail: [email protected]