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On 11 February 2013, members of Vitalie Eriomenco’s family called a press conference with the topic „693 days in illegal detention”. Having reached a point of despair, the family seeks help from the authorities in Chisinau.

Vitalie Eriomenco (age 43) is a businessman from the Transnistrian region, founder of three production companies in Slobozia. He was detained by the so-called authorities of the left bank of the Nistru river in March 2011 on accusations of prejudicing the three companies he had founded. Eriomenco’s troubles began after Petriman complained to the so-called anti-organized crime division in Tiraspol, headed by Andrei Mejinschi, who is also the brother of Valentin Mejinschi, former head of the Anti-Corruption Center in Chisinau and former Moldovan Minister of Interior.

“On 29 March 2011, Vitalie Eriomenco was kidnapped from his office in the town of Slobozia by representatives of Tiraspol militsia. For 10 hours, Eriomenco was mistreated, threatened with death and blackmailed by the „officers of the Transnistrian anti-crime division” to make statements that they wanted and to pass a share of stocks in the companies he owns to a Mr. V. Petriman for a supposed „incurred prejudice”,” Alexandru Zubco, lawyer from the Promo-LEX Association, noted.

Vera Eriomenco, the detainee’s mother, says that her son was mistreated, refused a lawyer, and not provided with food, water or medical assistance during the arrest. Furthermore her son’s health condition worsened in the dire detention conditions.

The man’s father, Tudor Eriomenco, said that their family sent hundreds of complaints to the unrecognized authorites of Transnistria as well as to Moldovan institutions, but to no avail, and they have come to a state of complete despair.

„The Moldovan Ministry of Interior is intended for defending its own citizens, and not for submitting their citizens and their personal data to separatists, in flagrant violation of the Moldovan Constitution,” Tudor Eriomenco added.

„An application on Eriomenco’s case was submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on 1 July 2011. The application cites the violation of Articles 2, 3, , 8, 34 and 13 of the European Convention. On 23 August 2011, ECtHR decided to examine the case in a priority regime and communicated the case to the Russian and Moldovan Governments,” lawyer Alexandru Zubco added.

The Eriomenco family called the Moldovan government to get involved in freeing their son and asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Vlad Filat on 12 February, at 10.00. If not, the family threatened to start a hunger strike.

Recently, the Eriomenco case came to the attention of the World Organization Against Torture, which demanded the left bank authorities to grant the detainee adequate medical assistance and to ensure him the right to a fair trial. The Eriomenco case cannot be singled out, as there are many cases when businessmen in the region were unlawfully detained by the local militsia.

For more details, please contact: Iulia Munteanu, Press Officer
Tel: (22) 450024, GSM: 069072579, email: [email protected]