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Anti-terrorism: A member of PMR's self-defense force on the lookout for incursions by irregulars crossing the Dniester river

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Pridnestrovie's parliament has approved a draft law on the suppression of terrorism at the initiative of Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk, a source at the republic's parliament said.

The bill spells out legal aspects of anti-terrorist operations, including temporary restrictions on citizens in such cases. It also regulates the legal and social protection of terrorism victims and fighters against terrorism.

The bill stipulates punishment for recruitment to a terrorist organization and public incitement to terrorism.

" - The draft is modeled on similar Russian laws. We confirm our adherence to the suppression of terrorism as well as its funding," the source said.

" - The state should be able to combat terrorism and to cut off financial support to terrorists," says MP Gregory Diachenko, a member of parliament who is one of the sponsors of the bill.

No 'Just War' exceptions

The new legislation goes further than what is present in many other countries and carries no exceptions for so-called 'Jus ad bellum' ("just war") terrorism.

PMR forces under the interior ministry in a training video defending the country against attack by irregulars.

This is a departure from the stance taken by the Nonaligned Movement (NAM), which consists of 118 member nations. At their 14th Summit in September, all 118 nations unanimously approved a closing declaration broadly condemned terrorism, with specific exceptions for self-determination movements and for battles against foreign occupiers. No such exceptions are included in the new legislation from Pridnestrovie.

The bill sets out a counter-terrorism operation including measures and interim restrictions to be imposed on citizens living in a particular area. The bill stipulates legal and social protection for anti-terrorist units and victims of terrorism. For instance, in the event of death of a person in the course of anti-terrorist operation the members of his/her family shall be entitled to monetary benefits and under-age dependents to an orphan’s pension.

The key purpose of the bill is to forbid political compromises with terrorists.

The passage of the bill requires amendments to be introduced to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure of PMR. The bill proposes stiffer criminal liability for terrorists and for giving financial support to terrorists as well as recruiting and involvement in terrorist groups.

Besides, the bill stipulates punishment for officials who use their powers to persuade a person to commit an act of terrorism as well as liability for public appeals to commit acts of terrorism or public justification of terrorism, such as newspapers or broadcasting glorifying terrorism activity. In so-called Fourth Generation Warfare, terrorist cells generate news video of their victories to increase funding and draw attention to their cause. Videos glorifying terrorist activity are used as recruitment tools, a practice which will now be punishable under PMR law.

Black hole myth

The proposed amendments to the Criminal Code will facilitate terrorism prevention and finding accomplices of terrorists. Since there isn't really any terrorist activity within PMR, the bill is mainly seen as a way to provide a legal basis that will facilitate formal co-operation with other countries in the fight against terror. Pridnestrovie, notwithstanding its current unrecognized status, already has an extensive history of collaboration with law enforcement in Moldova, Russia and a number of other states; not least in matters involving rendition.

Under the Code of Criminal procedure as amended, the above specified crimes will fall within the jurisdiction of the national security agencies and the Supreme Court of PMR.

According to the PMR Parliament's press service, members of the Committee for law-enforcement agencies and combating corruption proposed to pass the legislation at first reading.

This kind of legislation already exists in Russia, but not in Moldova.

" - With this move, it doesn't make sense to talk about us being a black hole anymore," says one of the lawmakers who sponsored the bill. "The black hole myth has always been bogus, of course. But now we are showing decisively which side we are on, and that our country, recognized or not, will not be used as a safe haven for groups bent on undermining democracy in Europe or elsewhere."

The country, which is also known as Transnistria, Transdniester, Transdnestr, Transdniestria and other spellings based on the Dniester River, declared independence in 1990. Its independence has never been accepted by neighboring Moldova, who has attempted to tie it to unsourced allegations of weapons production and trafficking of arms to al-Qaeda. No evidence has ever been presented and officials in Pridnestrovie have consistently shrugged off the accusations as an "urban myth" forming part of a Moldovan campaign to smear them.

Living in an unrecognized state, the people of Pridnestrovie must contend with a barrage of propaganda against them which seeks to isolate and demonize them. They have on several occasions appealed to the international community for fair treatment, asking to be judged solely on their actions. (With information from vspmr.org, Itar-Tass)

See also:
» Alliance of 118 countries unanimously supports self-determination [1]