Promo-LEX monitors will observe court trials involving drug users in the north, center and south regions of the country, starting in February of this year.
The aim of the monitoring is to help improve observance of the rights of drug users in Moldova, and to prevent discriminatory treatments against them. Thus, for a period of 8 months, the effort will monitor 480 hearings in all the courts in Chisinau, Balti, Cahul, and Gagauzia. Drug users can also access free legal advice. To receive a consultation, call: 022-450-024.
The monitoring will also make a comprehensive assessment of perceptions, attitudes and issues faced by drug users in relation to the law enforcement.
The exercise will use two instruments: a monitoring questionnaire to measure the quality of justice, which will be filled by the monitors, and a satisfaction survey that will allow measuring the perceptions of drug users and their representatives about the quality of the administration of justice. The monitoring process will end in the publication of a comprehensive report.
Recall that in June 2014, Promo-LEX published a study: ”Police perceptions and behavior towards injectable drug users in Moldova”. Following the research conducted in the period January-May 2014, it was found that, although, in the recent years, there have been radical changes in the Moldovan legal provisions on penalties for drug users and preventing discrimination against them, so far, there is no effective mechanism for the implementation of this legislation and for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the new prerogatives. Accordingly, injectable drug users continue to be subjected to discrimination by the police.
The monitoring will be conductd within the project ”Promoting the rights of injectable drug users in Moldova through monitoring, reporting and litigation”, implemented by Promo-LEX wth the financial support of the Soros Foundation – Moldova.
For more information, contact: Alexandru Postica, Human Rights Program Director, Promo-LEX Association: Tel: (22) 450-024, GSM: 069104851, [email protected].