“We have the right to property, but we do not own our lands” was one of the slogans made by the farmers from Dubasari during the peaceful protest that took place on June 6, 2015. The purpose of the protest was to raise awareness regarding the real struggle they are facing and bring it to the attention of the authorities. More so, they intended to inform the broader population about their problems caused by the fact that they’re access to the land they own on the Ribnita Tiraspol route has been denied by the Transnistrian authorities, therefore breaking their rights to property.
On the February 6, 2013, the European Court of Human Rights informed the Governments of Moldova and the Russian Federation on eight applications that include complaints from 1651 owners of farmland in Dubasari as well as three farming companies. The applicants are residents and inhabitants of villages Dorotcaia, Pirita, Molovata-Noua, Pohrebea and Cocieri, situated on the left bank of the Nistru River, and own farmland in the vicinity of their villages.
At the Court, applicants allege a violation of Article 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in connection with the violation of the right of ownership or use of land shares, and of Article 13 in connection with the lack of an effective remedy at the national level in connection with violations of Article 1 of the European Convention.
See below Resolution adopted by the farmers.
Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
President of the Republic of Moldova
Government of the Republic of Moldova
OSCE Mission in Moldova
European Union Delegation
Embassy of the USA in Republic of Moldova
Embassy of the Russian Federation in Republic of Moldova
Embassy of the Ukraine in Republic of Moldova
RESOLUTION
adopted unanimously on 6 June 2015 following the Peaceful Protest
of farmers from Dubăsari district
We, the undersigned, citizens of the Republic of Moldova, farmers from Dubasari district and owners of the plots of land located across the Rabnita-Tiraspol road (about 6 thousand ha of agricultural land), taking into account the fundamental principles of human rights, especially the right to protection of property, the abilities to respond and resist despite the continuous pressures and persecutions from the Tiraspol administration, as well as the passivity and irresponsibility of the constitutional authorities:-
- REAFFIRMING that the property law in the Republic of Moldova is guaranteed by the Supreme Law and international treaties, to which the Republic of Moldova is a party;
- RECALLING that since 1998, villagers, landowners and business entities from the Dubasari district haven’t had free access to the lands located across the Ribnita-Tiaspol road;
- STATING that an illegal entity, which assumed abusively the de facto control over our proprieties in 2014, is preventing us from exercising our property right over the plots of land by applying various punitive mechanisms;
- HAVING actually our private property expatriated;
- EXCLAMING the indifference and impotence of the constitutional authorities to protect the private property of farmers Dubasari district;
- INCURRING huge losses in terms of land quality, capital invested by business entities and human resources;
- NOTICING a spirit of distrust in the values protected with human lives by the local population during the armed conflict on the Nistru river;
- UNDERLINING the discriminatory treatment of the business entities based in Dubasari district, compared to the business entities registered with the Tiraspol authorities by the Central Government, i.e. the provision of advantageous facilities to the latter and ignoring the legal requirements of the former;
- AIMING AT corruptibility and fulfilment of the economic interests of some mercantile centers from Chisinau and Tiraspol in their attempts to solve the problems of farmers from the left bank of the Nistru river;
- INTUITING that landowners are victims of some political interests, placed on different barricades and left to their fate;
- TIRED of the empty promises of the Chisinau authorities with regards to these issues;
- INFORMING that the secessionist authorities DO NOT recognize the right to private property, respectively any meekness of the Chisinau authorities during the mutual negotiations could affect our property right, leading to our de jure loss of properties;
- BELIEVING that the Government should make all efforts to maintain the property integrity, ensure the property right, whatever the costs involved in maintaining them in an uncontrolled area;
- URGING the Government of the Republic of Moldova to have a mature attitude in the negotiation of the fundamental rights, as if they give up in favor of the separatist structures, the consequences will be of HISTORIC importance, affecting the property right and the constitutional control in Transnistrian region;
- INVITING the international community, foreign embassies in the Republic of Moldova, and stakeholders involved in the negotiation to take a stronger stake in supporting the farmers’ efforts of ensuring their property rights.
WE REQUEST that the constitutional authorities WITHIN 30 DAYS:
- Ensure a free and immediate access to the agricultural lands, located across the Rabnita – Tiraspol road, to their owners;
- Guarantee the constitutional rights of the citizen of the Republic of Moldova to private property and free movement in the Transnistrian region;
- Require full recovery of all expenses incurred by business entities as a result of working and planting their lands during the 2013-2014 period;
- Develop a strategy for the social and economic development in the settlements of Dubăsari district, in particular those from the left bank of the Nistru river;
- Provide preferential loans and implement rural business support programs in the settlements from Dubăsari district, located on the left banks of the Nistru river;
- Allow the business entities in process of bankruptcy to reorganize their statutory activities;
- Compensate the forgone revenues of business entities and individuals, who partially lost their legal economic activity – until the final resolution of the political conflict
Adopted today, June 6, 2015