Human rights in Moldova

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The condition of human rights in Moldova has come under scrutiny since 2002, and human rights organizations within Moldova and around the world have spoken out against what they feel to be unfair suppression of the independent media, as well as other abuses.

Contents

U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2" Watchlist" in 2017. [1]

History

State media coverage of the street protests in 2002 regarding the Communists’ attempt to reinstate obligatory study of the Russian language and to defend the cultural identity that the majority of Moldovans share with neighboring Romania was censored. In February 2002, in response to severe censorship of the state broadcast station Teleradio-Moldova (TVM), hundreds of TVM journalists went on strike in solidarity with the anti-communist opposition. In retribution, a few journalists and staff members were dismissed or suspended from the station in March. [2]

However, in 2004 an improvement was made and the Moldovan Parliament removed Article 170 from the country's Criminal Code. Article 170 called for up to five years imprisonment for defamation. [3]

According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the media climate in Moldova remained restrictive as of 2004. [4] Authorities continued a long-standing campaign to silence independent opposition voices and movements. In a case widely criticized by human rights defenders, opposition politician Valeriu Pasat was sentenced to a ten-year prison term. The United States and human rights defenders from the European Union consider him a political prisoner, and an official statement from Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the judgment "striking in its cruelty".[ citation needed ]

According to Amnesty International's 2007 annual report, the state of human rights in Moldova was poor. Torture and ill-treatment were widespread and conditions in pre-trial detention were poor. A number of treaties protecting women's rights were ratified, but men, women and children continued to be trafficked for forcible sexual and other exploitation.[ citation needed ] Measures to protect women against domestic violence were inadequate. Constitutional changes to abolish the death penalty were made. Freedom of expression was restricted and opposition politicians were targeted.

In 2009, when Moldova experienced its most serious civil unrest in a decade, several civilians like Valeriu Boboc were killed by police and many more injured. [5] According to Human Rights Report of the United States Department of State, released in April 2011, "In contrast to the previous year, there were no reports of killings by security forces. During the year reports of government exercising undue influence over the media substantially decreased." But "Transnistrian authorities continued to harass independent media and opposition lawmakers; restrict freedom of association, movement, and religion; and discriminate against Romanian speakers." [6] Moldova "has made “noteworthy progress” on religious freedom since the era of the Soviet Union, but it can still take further steps to foster diversity," said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Heiner Bielefeldt, in Chişinău, in September 2011. [7]

On 19 April 2021, the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021–2024, which had among its objectives working on the situation of human rights in Moldova, was signed on Strasbourg, France. [8]

Rights of vulnerable groups

Romani people

Discrimination against Romani people is a systemic problem in Moldovan society. Law enforcement bodies, the police in particular, show a discriminatory attitude, hostility, abusive behavior, and physical and psychological violence towards them. [9] Bad treatments usually take place during detention and aim to obtain testimonies and statements. [9] There were also cases where state authorities refused to investigate or sanction cases of physical abuse committed by individuals against Romani people. The Romani people literacy level is below the national average, and some communities do not have running water, plumbing and heating. [10]

Freedom of expression and of the press

Moldovan Constitutions and laws protect freedom of expression and media freedom, and forbid censorship. Still, direct and indirect censorship is practiced, and Moldova is ranked as "partly free" in Freedom House 2016 Freedom of the Press report. [11]

In 2020, freedom house said that while on paper there was strong media protection, the defamation laws allow for rights to be stripped, which becomes " an easy and comfortable mechanism for exerting pressure on the media as people acting in bad faith can influence official examiners, particularly at the local level."(e.g. in 2020, president Igor Dodon filed a defamation case against Ziarul de Gardă for reporting on his holidays.) [12]

Historical situation

The following chart shows Moldova's ratings since 1991 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free". [13] 1

The 2021 ratings were for Political rights 3, and for Civil Liberties 3.

See also

Notes on Historical Ratings Table above

1. ^ Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on.
2. ^ As of January 1.
3. ^ Moldova is a parliamentary republic; the presidency is considered a ceremonial position, with the prime minister and parliament holding most of the legislative power. [14] [15]
4. ^ On the Freedom House spreadsheet, the ratings for every country from North Macedonia through North Korea are applied to the country that precedes it alphabetically, with North Macedonia's ratings (3 for both civil and political rights) being applied to North Korea. North Macedonia is listed as beginning with the letter “M” (as in “Macedonia, North”), whereas North Korea is listed as beginning with the letter “N”; hence, every country beginning with the letters "M" and "N" (excluding Norway) are affected.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Moldova</span> Political system of Moldova

The politics of Moldova take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, wherein the prime minister is the head of the Government of Moldova, and a multi-party system. The President of Moldova has no important powers. The government exercises executive power while the legislative power is vested in the Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The position of the breakaway region of Transnistria, relations with Romania and with Russia, and integration into the EU dominate political discussions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moldova</span> Country in Eastern Europe

Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, on the northeastern corner of the Balkans. The country spans a total of 33,483 km2 and has a population of approximately 2.5 million as of January 2023. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria lies across the Dniester river on the country's eastern border with Ukraine. Moldova is a unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic with its capital in Chișinău, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moldovan Police</span>

The General Police Inspectorate is the national civilian police force of the Republic of Moldova. It is a state institution subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that regulates law enforcement in Moldova. The current Chief of the General Police Inspectorate is currently Viorel Cernauteanu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Moldova</span>

Moldova's constitution provides for freedom of religion and complete separation of church and state, though the constitution cites the "exceptional importance" of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Discrimination on the basis of religious affiliation is illegal, and incitement to religious and ethnic hatred was made illegal in May 2022. Religion in Moldova is dominated by the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity. According to the 2014 Moldovan census, 90 per cent of the country reported to be of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. Of this number, around eighty to 90 per cent of Orthodox Moldovans belong to the Moldovan Orthodox Church which is subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, and has played a powerful role in deepening Russia's influence in Moldova. The remaining 10–20 per cent of Orthodox Moldovans belong to the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which is subordinate to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Bulgaria</span>

Bulgaria joined the Council of Europe and ratified the European Convention on Human Rights in 1992 and joined the European Union in 2007. Despite this, Bulgarian compliance with human rights norms falls below the standard expected of an ECHR signatory. The European Court of Human Rights noted that of 596 applications dealt with by the Court in 2022, 25 resulted in a judgement finding at least one human rights violation.

Human rights in Croatia are defined by the Constitution of Croatia, chapter three, sections 14 through 69.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in North Macedonia</span> Inalienable fundamental rights to which a person in North Macedonia is inherently entitled

North Macedonia is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and the U.N. Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and Convention against Torture, and the Constitution of North Macedonia guarantees basic human rights to all citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Transnistria</span>

The state of affairs with human rights in Transnistria has been criticized by several governments and international organizations. The Republic of Moldova, and other states and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) claim that the government of Transnistria is authoritarian and has a record of arbitrary arrest and torture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Moldova</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Moldova face legal and social challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same rights and benefits as households headed by opposite-sex couples. Same-sex unions are not recognized in the country, so consequently same-sex couples have little to no legal protection. Nevertheless, Moldova bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace, and same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1995.

The mass media of Transnistria, the breakaway territory within the borders of Moldova, features both state-owned or supported outlets and opposition media. Publications are in Russian, with a single newspaper in each of the other two official languages, Moldovan (Romanian), and Ukrainian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moldova–Romania relations</span> Bilateral relations

Modern Moldova-Romania relations emerged after the Republic of Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Pan-Romanianism has been a consistent part of Moldovan politics, and was adopted in the Popular Front of Moldova's platform in 1992. The official language of Moldova is Romanian. The peoples of the two countries share common traditions and folklore, including a common name for the monetary unit – the leu. At present, relations between the two states are exceptionally friendly, especially on account of the pro-Romanian administration of Maia Sandu in Moldova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moldova–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Moldova–Russia relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation, two Eastern European, post-Soviet, ex-communist countries. Russian support for the self-proclaimed Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria) and a substantial Russian military presence therein strained Moldovan relations with Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Moldova</span>

The mass media in Moldova refers to mass media outlets based in the Republic of Moldova. Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. The Constitution of Moldova guarantees freedom of speech. As a country in transition, Moldova's media system is under transformation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests</span> 2009 protests in Moldova

Protests against the April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election results began on 6 April 2009 in major cities of Moldova before the final official results were announced. The demonstrators claimed that the elections, which saw the governing Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) win a majority of seats, were fraudulent, and alternatively demanded a recount, a new election, or resignation of the government. Similar demonstrations took place in other major Moldovan cities, including the country's second largest, Bălți, where over 7,000 people protested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova</span> Political party in Moldova

The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova is a conservative political party in Moldova. The party is led by Tudor Deliu. Until 2016, PLDM was led by Vlad Filat, who was Prime Minister of Moldova from 2009 to 2013, in two cabinets. Immediately after the 2014 parliamentary elections, with 21 seats in the Moldovan Parliament, PLDM was the largest of the three democratic pro-European parliamentary parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova</span> Centre-left Moldovan political party

The Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova is a democratic socialist political party in Moldova. A populist party, it holds Eurosceptic and Russophilic views, both of which are reflected by its long-time former leader Igor Dodon. It is contrasted to like-minded centre-left European parties for its conservative views on social issues, reflecting the country's strong social conservatism and the influence of the Moldovan Orthodox Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igor Dodon</span> President of Moldova from 2016 to 2020

Igor Dodon is a Moldovan politician who previously served as the President of Moldova from 23 December 2016 to 24 December 2020. He currently serves as the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova. He served as Minister of Economy and Trade in the governments of Vasile Tarlev and Zinaida Greceanîi from September 2006 to September 2009 and was a member of the Parliament of Moldova from 2009 to 2016. He lost his bid for re-election in 2020 to Maia Sandu, whom he had defeated four years earlier in the 2016 Moldovan presidential election.

Valeriu Boboc was a protester who died in police custody amid the post-election protests in Chișinău, Moldova. The initial official cause was smoke poisoning from the riot, but his family insisted that he was beaten to death by the police, his body being full of contusions. According to 2009 Human Rights Report of the United States Department of State, a British forensics expert examined Boboc's body after it was exhumed on June 15, 2009, and concluded that Boboc was killed by severe blows to his head. Only after a new ruling coalition came to power, an investigation was opened into the case and a policeman was arrested on charges of Boboc's murder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maia Sandu</span> President of Moldova since 2020

Maia Sandu is a Moldovan politician who has been the President of Moldova since 24 December 2020. She is the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and former Prime Minister of Moldova from 8 June 2019 until 14 November 2019, when the government collapsed after a vote of no-confidence. Sandu was Minister of Education from 2012 to 2015 and member of the Parliament of Moldova from 2014 to 2015, and again in 2019. Sandu was elected President of Moldova in a landslide victory during the 2020 Moldovan presidential election. The first female president of Moldova, Sandu is a strong supporter of the accession of Moldova to the European Union, overseeing Moldova's granting of candidate status, and is considered 'pro-Western'. She has criticised and opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported subsequent steps to reduce Moldova's economic dependence on Russia, frequently expressing sympathy and support for Ukraine in the conflict. Sandu has made anti-corruption, economic reform and liberalisation a central part of her political platform, as well as closer integration with Europe. In February 2023, she accused Russia of seeking to stage a coup of the Moldovan government and has continued to seek to reduce Russia's influence over the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–2016 protests in Moldova</span>

Starting in the spring of 2015, Moldova experienced large-scale protests amid a worsening economic situation and corruption scandals. The protests gained momentum in September, when up to 100,000 people demonstrated in the largest protest since Moldova's independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991.

References

  1. ↑ "Trafficking in Persons Report 2017: Tier Placements". www.state.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  2. ↑ "Attacks on the Press 2002: Moldova". 31 March 2003. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "IFEX". Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Report on Assessment Visit to Moldova by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
  5. ↑ Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Moldova 2011 Crime and Safety Report
  6. ↑ United States Department of State, 2010 Human Rights Report: Moldova
  7. ↑ Moldova: UN human rights expert calls for more fostering of religious diversity
  8. ↑ "New Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova launched in Strasbourg". Council of Europe. 19 April 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Rele tratamente pe motiv de discriminare în Moldova" (PDF). Promo-LEX. Chișinău. 2012. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  10. ↑ "Moldova: Raport asupra drepturilor omului pe anul 2016" (PDF). Ambasada SUA în Moldova.
  11. ↑ "Moldova / Country report / Freedom of the Press". Freedom House. 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  12. ↑ ""FoTP_Moldova-2021_En_0.pdf"" (PDF). Freedom House. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ Freedom House (2022). "Country and Territory Ratings and Statuses, FIW 1973-2022" (XLS). Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Moldova elects pro-Russian Igor Dodon as president". Politico. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Maia Sandu, a reformist ex-prime minister, becomes president". The Economist. 19 November 2020. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 9 March 2022.
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