moldova

A new report shows that Moldovan government officials are behind a booming trade in counterfeit cigarettes. The illegal tobacco smuggling targets the European Union via Moldova's shared border with Romania. Transdniestria is not named in the report and there have been no cases of any counterfeit cigarette smuggling on Transdniestria's borders.

New facts reveal that Moldova now holds the leading spot among European countries for illegal organ trafficking. Worldwide, Moldova is one of the top 3 source countries in the gruesome trade. Moldova's illegal organ harvesting rings operate with impunity and de-facto government protection.

If Moldova's government has its way, the leader of the country's largest opposition party will be sent to jail for the next nine years. Serafim Urechean is defending himself in a case which legal experts say is politically motivated. In 2006 the Supreme Court already ordered the case to be thrown out, but it has nevertheless been reopened just ahead of next year's elections.

With poverty and prices on the rise in Moldova, nearby Transdniester is increasingly convinced that independence is the best way forward. An opinion poll released in Chisinau reveals that 3 out of 4 Moldovans don't have a decent living. The situation is better in Transdniester where a majority of the population prefers not to join the "failed state" of Moldova.

Corruption in Moldova is more widespread than ever, a new poll reveals. The study by Transparency International shows a record rise in government corruption, with visa issuing and law enforcement topping the list. Transdniestria has shown little interest in joining a state which has the distinction of being the most corrupt in Europe.

The world's most widely read business magazine says that Moldova's economy is in a deep hole. Corruption, lack of freedom, authoritarian rule and economic mis-management have made Moldova the most remittance dependent country in the world. Meanwhile, 'de facto' independent Transdniestria is doing better economically.

Two of the world's leading human rights groups have pinpointed Moldova as a country where torture is commonplace, ongoing and "normal". Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemn Moldova's regime for its excessive and persistent human rights abuses. The former Soviet state has also been found guilty of torture by the European Court of Human Rights.

A group of girls from Moldova have been released by British police after raids against human trafficking rings. They had been smuggled from Europe's poorest country and forced into sex slavery. Trafficking gangs operate with government involvement in Moldova.

The United States government has launched a probe into illegal cigarette imports and patent violations. Moldova is among the key targets and a major source country. The smuggling of counterfeit cigarettes is a growing worldwide problem which in large part comes from Moldova.

Disastrous government mismanagement has changed Moldova from an abundant food producer to a country unable to provide for its citizens. A new UN report lists Moldova is the only European nation among 37 third world countries to face a serious food crisis. The situation is better in independently governed Transdniestria.