Tiraspol prison conditions getting better with OSCE collaboration

Inmates in their living quarters inside Tiraspol's Prison #3, the only female penitentiary in Pridnestrovie

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - On 9 February, the local OSCE Mission donated two industrial washing machines and two industrial dryers to Prison Number 3 in Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie. It is the only penitentiary in the country where women are detained.

" - This equipment will significantly improve hygienic and sanitary conditions for inmates, and help fight the spread of infectious diseases," said Ambassador Louis O'Neill, the American Head of the OSCE Mission. He added: "We mustn't forget that children are growing up here."

Some of the 190 women serving their sentences in the Tiraspol prison are raising children on the penitentiary's premises. The prison also houses a department for men and a maximum security section. The prison, like other prisons in Pridnestrovie, receive frequent visits from international organizations. The Red Cross and human rights groups monitor conditions, which, although not up to first world standards, are said to be less harsh than in neighboring Moldova.

Open door policy

Belying its distorted image as a country where prison conditions are subhuman, Pridnestrovie has an open door policy when it comes to letting international organizations monitor the conditions of its judicial system.

Prisoners are in frequent contact with the outside world, and international groups recognize that conditions have improved markedly since the 1990s.

In the fall of 2006, an American charity - Compassion Med International - helped the female prison in Tiraspol, and freely filmed a video inside the prison. Conditions were shown to be fair to good, with no complaints from the women serving their time. Vocational activities and religious worship form part of the day to day life of the prison, where inmates have cable TV and access to education and a library.

" - There are no political prisoners in Transdniestria anymore," said Paul Williams, one of the charity workers, dismissing reports that persons suspected of being critical of the government are detained and help for periods of up to several months. "These reports are bogus. We looked into it, and there simply isn't any proof. It is very telling that not a single name has been put forward of any supposed political detainee."

An American aid worker, Liz Grover, compared the situation in Transdnestr with how her own government treats detainees:

" - We in America kidnap people from their countries of origin on suspicion of political activity, often without any proof. They are shackled and detained for periods of up to several years. They are warehoused in a military island prison called Guantanamo, without a trial," declared the aid worker. "When I came to Transdniester, what I saw was far better justice system. In comparison, here is a rule of law that provides access to a fair trial, and decent conditions for inmates who are serving out their sentences."

Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria, has no political prisoners. In 1999, it abandoned capital punishment, unlike the United States where the death penalty is still in force and prisoners are routinely executed. (With information from OSCE)

See also:
» OSCE sees improved government; increased trust in Transdniester
» Transdniester opens its doors to OSCE team for weapons inspection
» OSCE offers to organize elections in Pridnestrovie

Video:
» Compassion Med International: "Transnistria video" (fall 2006)