Chisinau, 14 October 2009 – The people (it is estimated that they number around 90) held in the basement of the Pre-trial Detention Center of the Tiraspol ‘ Militia’ have already been on hunger strike for 4 days. According to relatives, the detainees complain that they are held in inhumane conditions, tortured, not given access to a doctor, and do not even receive food parcels sent to them. At the same time, the administration of the isolation unit has threatened the detainees with the intervention of the special-purpose task force
“Speţnaz”, if they do not cease their hunger strike.
According to sources, detainees are subject to diverse forms of torture such as being beaten with hard objects across the fingers, having their legs and arms stretched, and being kicked and beaten with various objects on different parts of the body, particularly the back of the neck . Relatives (mothers and sisters) of the detainees, who were witnesses to instances of maltreatment, were threatened with rape if they talked about them or went to the authorities.
These relatives have also said that the protesters have been held in the absence of any genuine or legal proof for a long period of time (from 2 to 6 months), suspected of crimes that they have not committed. Among the detainees is the leader of the Tiraspol youth organisation ‘World Youth’, Bezrodnii Alexandr. The mother of the detainee has explained that her son is continuously maltreated by employees of the regional militia, with the aim of obtaining from him a confession to having committed robberies. The relatives suspect that the arrest of the ‘World Youth’ leader is connected with his professional activities. According to relatives, the detainee is not granted medical assistance (although a doctor has requested access on several occasions), and the lawyer involved is not allowed access to the case materials.
Individual freedom and security of person are inviolable and imply guarantees for those deprived of liberty. Security of person involves the right of the individual to juridical protection provided by state bodies, the right to the protection of one’s reputation and dignity, the right to liberty and security, guarantees against arbitrary arrest, the right to defense through courts , as well as the right to the inviolability of one’s domicile.
Thus, Promo-LEX reminds the authorities of The Republic of Moldova and The Russian Federation about the positive obligations which the governments of these two states have with regard to the victims of the Tiraspol regime.
Promo-LEX asks, as a matter of URGENCY, that the Russian and Moldovan authorities, with the involvement of representatives from the Ukraine, the OSCE, the EU and the United States (actors involved in Transnistrian conflict settlement process ), investigate the case and ensure respect for the rights of those detained in the Pre-trial Detention Center of the Tiraspol ‘ Militia’ (str. Lenin, Tiraspol).
The Promo-LEX Legal Department, 14 October 2009