Upon the referral of the Promo-LEX Association, the Ministry of Education requested admissions committees of Moldova universities in to exclude the recruit certificate/military service record from the list of documents required for admission to a higher education institution for those living in eastern region of the country.

Thus, starting with 2015, the military service record will be excluded from the list of documents necessary for admission competition.

Promo-LEX was contacted by young Moldovan citizens residing in Transnistrian regions who applied for  admission to Moldovan universities. They claim that admission committees demanded the recruit certificates and/or military service records, and a family composition certificate.

In its reports, Promo-LEX warned constitutional authorities about the difficult situation of recruits from the Eastern region of the country, and urged them to intervene to prevent their enrollment in illegal paramilitary formations. In order to obtain a recruit certificate/military service record/family composition certificate, youth in the region are forced to register with the military structures of the secessionist regime in Tiraspol. Thus they risk being summoned to serve in their paramilitary units, where they are abused, humiliated, harassed and forced to take an oath to the unconstitutional regime. In light of the above, presenting those documents is virtually impossible.

Also note that after 7 September 2012, the offices of registration and documentation of the population of the “CRIS Registru” SE no longer require citizens to present military service records for issuing identity documents and/or registering their domicile/residence. According to Law No.187 of 11 July 2012 amending and supplementing certain acts, the military ID was removed from the list of documents required for the issue of identity documents, as they violate the rights and freedoms of Moldovan citizens guaranteed by the Constitution.

In spite of this legal provision, we find, higher education institutions continue to request military service records/ recruit certificates and residence registration. Moreover, this practice violates the rights of the applicants, especially those from localities in the Transnistrian region.

For more details, contact: Alexandru Zubco, lawyer of Promo-LEX Association: Tel: (0 22) 31 09 45, GSM: 069667234, email: [email protected].

The European Court for Human Rights communicated the case Schidu (application no.75813/12) to the Governments of the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation.

The applicant in this case went before the Court claiming violation of Article 5 of the Convention with regard to his illegal detention by so-called authorities of the Transnistrian region, and violation of Article 13, absence of effective remedy for his complaint under Article 5. More information regarding this case can be accessed on the website of the European Court for Human Rights here.

Recently, Promo-LEX announced about other five cases communicated to the respondent governments – see details here.

The Promo-LEX Association currently represents applicants in over seventy cases before the ECtHR, fifty of which refer to human rights violations in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova. Twenty cases were already communicated to the respondent Governments.

The most frequent violations cited in the applications to the High Court refer to Article 3 -Prohibition of Torture, Article 5 – the Right to Liberty and Safety, and Article 13 – Lack of Effective Remedy.

All the details on the cases communicated by the Court and ECtHR decisions can be found here.

For details contact: Alexandru Postica, Director of Human Rights Program at Promo-LEX, lawyer, tel: (22) 450-024, GSM: 069-104-851.

On August 6, 2014, Promo-LEX and the Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance (AGER) launched in a news conference Quarterly Monitoring Report no. 6 on the Implementation of the Justice Sector Reform Strategy (monitoring period: 1 April to 30 June 2014).

Experts found that progress in implementing the JSRS Action Plan remains slow. Thus, of 288 of shares planned for completion by June 30, 2014, 173 have been completed and 115 are still uncompleted, which represents a percentage ratio of 60% to 40%, respectively. Although this rate shows a positive trend compared with the previous report, the dynamics of implementation of current actions and completing overdue actions remains unsettling. Thus, of the 23 actions that were to be completed during the reporting period, only 7 were finalized, and other 16 remained unrealized. Thus only 31% of due actions were implemented, and 69% remained overdue.

In terms of institutional capacity, with few exceptions, the work of the secretariat of the working group was assessed as good, as it ensures a smooth conduct of meetings, and the availability of their documents and materials on the webpage dedicated to reform. However, the bad practice of ”classifying” result indicators and hiding them from public opinion continued.

It should be noted that Pillar II Working group members have apparently become more demanding in assessing the achievement of actions. Thus, at the hearing on May 28, 2014, members of this WG changed the assessment of the implementation of 7 actions from partially completed to uncompleted. The basis for such decisions was reaching the deadline for the implementation of the action and the lack of information on the achievement of result indicators. Experts welcome the approach adopted by WG-II members and believe that their exigency should be taken over by members of other Working Groups.

During the second quarter of 2014, 300 court hearings were monitored and 342 user satisfaction questionnaires were filled in. In this regard, experts noted positive trends in terms of the number of sessions that were audio-recorded and the solemnity of court hearings attended by monitors. On the other hand, the lowest scores were achieved with regard to courts building facilities, and the management of courts’ electronic platforms.

We recall that the monitoring effort focused on the observation of two components: evaluation for the activities included in the Action Plan for the implementation of the Justice Sector Reform Strategy, and court trial monitoring. The Quarterly Monitoring Report No. 6 analyzed two types of actions, as follows: actions due to be fulfilled in the second quarter of 2014, overdue actions, set for completion as of March 31, 2014.

The electronic version of the Report is available on www.promolex.md and www.monitor.md

The Report was prepared within the project “Monitoring of Justice Sector Reform for Increased Government Accountability”, implemented by Promo-LEX and the Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance, with the financial support of the European Union. The project is co-financed by the East European Foundation from resources provided by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation (Sida) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark/DANIDA.

For more details, contact: Carolina Bondarciuc, Promo-LEX Press Officer, GSM: 069637849,
Tel/Fax (+373 22) 450-024, email: [email protected].

The 4^th of August marks, for a third consecutive year, the International Day of Solidarity with Belarusian civil society. According to a Memorandum signed by several organizations worldwide, this day will be marked until the situation of civil society in Belarus changes, prison sentences for promotion and protection of human rights disappear, and basic human freedoms such as freedom of expression, assembly and association, are guaranteed. The full text of the Memorandum is available here.

This year, in addition to the traditional theme: “Solidarity is stronger than repression”, civil society organizations came up with a proposal to draw attention to youth activists from Belarus, and show solidarity with their work and with defending humanist values ​​in culture and art.

On this day, we have the opportunity to express our support and to show them they are not alone in their fight for civil and human rights. In this context, we invite you to get involved, with various solidarity actions, see details here.

Last year, the Promo-LEX Association, a member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), organized an awareness campaign on the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus civil society, which was dedicated to the release of Ales Bialiatski. FIDH Vice President and member of the Association “Viasna”, a fierce defender of human rights, Bialiatski was sentenced to 4 and a half years in a closed prison and confiscation of property on charges of tax evasion, and in fact was sentenced for his work in promoting and protecting human rights. Ales Bialiatski was released from prison in June 2014.

Vitalii Beşleaga and Sergei Bevziuc are Moldovan citizens and co-founders of “Varniţa Unicum”, a company specliazed in producing and selling of therapeutic mineral water. In 2011 Vitalii Beşleaga was elected as a local counsellor in the local council of Varniţa village, and in April 2013 was involved in the liquidation of customs stations installed illegally in the village by the separatist administration.

In order to to carry out business activity and to produce and commercialize therapeutic mineral water  “Varniţa Unicum” the partners founded “Beşleaga ERVA”, a limited liability company registered by  constitutional authorities for conducting business on the right bankof Nistru River, and LLC “Aeroplan “to conduct the same type of activity in the Transnistrian region.

On November 15, 2013 Beşleaga Vitalii and Sergei Bevziuc were abducted by employees of the so-called “committee of investigation of rmn”. They were “accused” of bribing “high level officials” of the secessionist administration in order to unlock companies’ business in Transnistrian region. Subsequently, both victims were detained in inhuman conditions for 10 days in isolator of the Prison No. 3 in Tiraspol. Further, they were placed in various “detention facilities” in the Transnistrian region where the “prisoners’ are detained in inhuman conditions and without proper healthcare. Details here.

At the time of their arrest, LLC “Aeroplan” was one of the most prosperous companies in the Transnistrian region of Moldova. Thus, in 2012, at a specialized competition, LLC “Aeroplan” received a quality award. http://www.tiraspol.ru/news/?action=show&id=1850 

On 11/18/2013, Tiraspol “court” applied arrest as a preventive measure for both men, WITHOUT INDICATING ITS DURATION and invoking the necessity of this measure by the socially dangerous nature of the crime and qualifying it as a very serious offense. The “court” also referred on the fact that the defendants could evade prosecution and could commit other crimes. The duration of the “arrest” was prolonged several times until now. On July 30, 2014 the “arrest” was extended for another two months.

Currently both men are detained in “isolator” No.3 from Tiraspol.

For further information contact: Pavel Postica, jurist, Program Director Promo-LEX: Tel: (22) 45 00 24 GSM: 069 165 154, e-mail: [email protected]

Documents

On 29 July 2014, the Center for Civil Liberties, in partnership with Promo-LEX and “Mothers for Human Rights” associations, organized a national conference with the subject: “Secure access to internet, a tool for defending basic human rights”.

The discussion points included: the role of social media in promoting human rights in Moldova including the Transnistrian region, challenges and opportunities faced by investigation journalism, the role of Moldovan governmental agencies in promoting Internet security in the country, human rights and Internet in Ukraine, etc.

Nazarii Boyarski, the representative of the Center for Civil Liberties from Ukraine, presented the experience of the civil society and journalists in the context of the ”Social Network Revolution”.  According to him, both human rights defenders and journalists had encountered such issues as on-line disclosure of personal data; attacks against journalists (over 200 journalists were subjected to physical violence) as well as amendments to the legal framework, which lead to severe violations of the rights of expression and association.

Alina Radu, chief editor of Ziarul de Garda, presented to the participants the work of investigative journalists in Moldova, and the problems and pressures they face. Transnistrian participants spoke about the situation from their angle, mentioning numerous issues and obstacles encountered by Internet users from this region. A lesson of blogging was provided by Oxana Greadcenco, chief editor of the portal Moldova.org, who shared with the participants the importance of the presence of the human rights activists on the web, especially in blogs.

The participants were also informed about the role and activities of the E-Government Center as well as the Center for Fighting Cybernetic Crimes of the National Investigation Inspectorate.

Concluding the event, the participants passed a Resolution on ensuring and guaranteeing free and secure access to Internet for Moldovan citizens, including those form the Transnistrian area.

The event was organized by Ukrainian NGO Center for Civil Liberties in partnership with Moldovan organizations Promo-LEX and ”Mothers for Human Rights” in the framework of the project: “Effective regional cooperation and common civil society platforms of Eastern Partnership countries, Russia, and Central Asia, in promoting and defending basic human rights in the region”, implemented with the support of the European Commission.

For more details please contact: Carolina Bondarciuc, Press Officer, mob: 069637849, tel/Fax (+373 22) 450024, e-mail [email protected].

On 3-6 June and 14-17 July 2014, Promo-LEX in partnership with The Equal Rights Trust organized four training sessions on equality and non-discrimination.

The aim of the trainings was to help increase awareness of civil society of the Law No.121 on Ensuring Equality, and international standards on equality and non-discrimination. In the long term, the trainings will contribute to building the capacity of civil society representatives in Moldova in fighting discrimination.

The trainings were organized in Chisinau and Balti. A total of 86 representatives of civil society from Moldova, including the Transnistrian region were trained. Trainings were conducted by experts from The Equal Rights Trust and the Moldovan Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination and Ensure Equality.

The participants were satisfied with the training program, which included both theoretical sessions and practical exercises, and the accessible way in which topics were presented. This contributed to a better understanding of the subjects covered during the trainings. In the practical sessions, the participants examined several cases of discrimination, both from international practice and from that of the Council on Equality of Moldova.

The trainings were organized as part of the project “Strengthening the capacity of civil society in Moldova, including the Transnistrian region, to fight discrimination through advocacy actions”, implemented by Promo-LEX and ERT, and funded by the European Union.

Contact person from Promo-LEX:

Olga Manole, Human Rights Program Coordinator
Tel: (+373 22) 44 96 26, 450024
e-mail: [email protected]

Contact person from the Delegation of the European Union in Moldova:
Marjaana RÄF, Project Manager
Tel: (+373 22) 505210
e-mail: [email protected]

The European Court of Human Rights informed the Governments of Moldova and Russian Federation on other five case, referring to the violation of human rights in the Transnistrian region: Sobco v Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation (file no. 3060/07); Ghent v Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation (file no. 45533/09); Canțer și Măgăleaș v Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation (file no. 7529/10), Vardanean v Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation (file no. 22200/10) și Pădureț v Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation (file no. 26626/11).

In cases of Sobco, Ghent, Vardanean, Canțer and Magaleas v Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation the applicants claimed the violation of art.6 of ECHR, due to the fact that the applicants’ cases were examined by illegally created courts.

In case of Pădureț v. Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation, the applicant claimed the violation of right to property as the result of the confiscation of applicant’s goods by the so-called Transnistrian customs bodies.

Cited Governments are invited to respond to the alleged violations before 10 October 2014.

More details on cases are available on the web site of European Court for Human Rights www.echr.coe.int.

The applicants are represented in Court by lawyers from Promo-LEX.

For more details, please contact: Alexandru Postica, Human Right Program Director at the Promo-LEX Association:
tel: (22) 450024, GSM: 069104851.

We, the representatives of civil society of the Republic of Moldova, signatories of this declaration,

• Starting from the importance of building a democratic society in the Republic of Moldova, based on  the rule of law, political pluralism, separation of powers, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, social equality, a functional and efficient market economy,
• Ascertaining the continuity of all efforts in moving closer to Europe, in embracing and implementing European values and harmonizing with the European Union principles, norms, standards and policies,
• Realizing the necessity of continuing the efforts to reintegrate the country, through identifying a viable political solution which would offer all citizens, including those from the left bank of the Nistru river the chance to prosperity, stability and respect for fundamental human rights,
• Acknowledging the significant opportunities offered by the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova and being confident that the relations between Moldova and the EU will deepen and will rapidly advance,

Are reasserting that the fundamental strategic objective of the Republic of Moldova must be European integration.

In this context, we request the immediate ratification of the Association Agreement by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

We call the Moldovan Government to make all necessary efforts for obtaining the statute of EU candidate country for accession as soon as possible.

The achievement of this goal is the confluence of all endeavors of political, social, economic and cultural forces representing the entire society of the Republic of Moldova.

We call the representatives of civil society to unite around a national idea, which is preparing Moldova for accession to the European Union.

In order to support this endeavor, the signatories of the present statement are launching the Civil Society Platform “Pro Europe”, which is open to all those who share the European values and ideals.

The “Pro Europe” Platform was created to consolidate the European integration choice and to boost the democratic development of the Moldovan society. The platform will contribute to the promotion of European values, to the understanding of economic, social, democratic and political benefits that brings the European integration.

The signatories of the present declaration will engage to support the efforts of state authorities, nongovernmental organizations and of any other actors of our society, aimed at achieving the European goal of our country. The platform’s members will closely monitor how the Government is implementing the commitments provided by the Association Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Moldova.

We consider that speeding-up the reforms is of primary importance in order to strengthen the rule of law, ensure law supremacy, fighting corruption, promoting political pluralism and free elections, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, enhance the individual and family safety, promoting a tolerant society and ensuring stability and a sustainable economic development.

We call the representatives of media institutions, civil society and public authorities to actively promote the European integration of Republic of Moldova and to inform all citizens regarding the benefits and challenges regarding the European course of our country.

Chisinau, June 30, 2014

See the Declaration here.

Domestic violence is a reality closer or further away from all of us, and it cannot be tolerated or overlooked regardless of its forms.

24 June 2014 marked the end of a campaign called: “The restraining order can protect you from domestic violence”, an extensive national information campaign on the use of protection order for victims of domestic violence, conducted by Promo-LEX in partnership with the General Police Inspectorate.

During the campaign, five viewing evenings were organized in several localities: Soroca, Ungheni, Teleneşti, v. Sarata Veche in Făleşti, and v. Gribova in Drochia. During the events, viewers watched video clips with antiviolence messages, and later held discussions on domestic violence and victim protection measures. Participants were informed about the protection order, how it is issue and used, and the role of the authorities in preventing and fighting domestic violence.

In addition, leaflets were distributed with information about protective measures that are provided by the restraining order to victims of domestic violence, the procedure to obtain a restraining order, application and supervision of the restraining order, sanctions for failing to apply the order, etc. Posters containing similar information were placed in all police inspectorates and posts in the country.

Promo-LEX and the General Police Inspectorate conduct the information campaign to prevent and fight domestic violence for a second consecutive year.

As part of its Human Rights Program, Promo-LEX provides free legal aid to victims of domestic violence. If you are a victim of domestic violence or know such a case, please contact us at: tel: (022) 45 00 24, GSM: 069 439 446 or e-mail: [email protected]. Abuses or violations committed by those responsible to handle cases of domestic violence can be reported on the website: www.monitor.md.

The campaign was conducted under the project “Streamlining the enforcement of protection orders for victims of domestic violence in Moldova.” The project is implemented by the Promo-LEX with support from the Soros Foundation – Moldova.

For more details, please contact:
Carolina Bondarciuc, Promo-LEX Press Officer: tel/fax: (+373 22) 450024, email: [email protected].