A seminar on “Uniform procedures for prosecuting cases of human rights violations in Transnistria – reception and transmission of personal data” was held on 6 November 2013. During the event, several judges and prosecutors were trained and discussed the protection of personal data as well as procedures for prosecuting cases of human rights violations in the Transnistrian region.

Veronica Mocanu, PhD of Law, lecturer at the State University of Moldova, taught on the general principles of processing and protecting personal data; limitations of access to personal data; and a comparative approach to cross-border exchange and transfer of personal data.

Promo-LEX Executive Director, Ion Manole, said, with referrence to the cooperation between state institutions and similar bodies from the left bank of Nistru river entailing exchanges of personal data: “In certain situations and cases we stated an actual collaboration, although largely informal and not public. We do not see a problem in that sense so long as the law is observed, and, in terms of protecting personal data, we do not see a problem in the collaboration so long as state agencies do not provide these data to groups or institutions on the left bank, thus violating the law. We see this collaboration only in one direction, that is to say that bodies from the left bank could provide certain information to the central constitutional authorities to help them manage certain situations. We cannot admit however situations when the constitutional bodies provide information to illegally formed groups that control a part of the ​​Moldovan territory.”

“On the other hand,” Ion Manole added, “transmitting personal data to individuals or entities that are not subject to national or international legislation constitutes a serious violation of the principles of personal data protection, provided by the Convention for the Protection of Individuals, with regard to automatic processing of personal data, and general observance of human rights.”

Attention was drawn to the need to tackle the issue of personal data transfers in the context of the General Prosecutor Office’s criminal proceedings against representatives of the separatist regime, and the general obligations of the national authorities with regard to human rights violations in the Transnistrian region.

A session of the seminar was devoted to presentations and discussions about the national and international jurisprudence on the protection of personal data. Examples were brought from the ECtHR practice, when privacy violations occurred from undue handling of personal data, but also from the practice of national courts, when damages were paid for violating personal data management procedures.

The event was organized by the National Institute of Justice, with support from the Promo-LEX Association. The event was part of the project “Promoting Human Rights and Strengthening Civil Society in the Transnistrian Region of Moldova”, implemented by Promo-LEX with the financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

For more details, please contact: Carolina Bondarciuc, Press Officer, GSM: 069-637-849, Tel/Fax (+373 22) 450-024, Email [email protected]