human rights

A visa ban which has been in effect against Transdniestria since 2004 will now be lifted. Moldova's President Vladimir Voronin announced that he will ask the US and the European Union to scrap the travel prohibitions. The move comes as Voronin and PMR President Igor Smirnov both try to restart status settlement negotiations over Transdniestria's future.

A diplomatic lobbying group which includes Kosovo among its clients is seeking a voice for the voiceless at the United Nations. The London based Independent Diplomat group is calling for a "Universal Right of Address" at the UN Security Council. Recently the United States blocked Abkhazia from being heard in its conflict with Georgia.

The so-called Helsinki Committee in Moldova has been excluded from the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. The move comes after serious bribery and corruption charges and accusations of lying in its reports, many of which involve Transdniestria. Founder and leader Ştefan Urîtu has also been accused of defrauding 500,000 euros in donor money.

Torture is "normal, widespread and systemic" in Moldova, says Amnesty International in its latest report. The international human rights organization warns that urgent measures are needed to stop the abuse. In Transdniestria, the situation is much better: There, the last reported case of ill-treatment dates back to the year 2000.

Freedom of expression suffered another blow in Moldova as the authorities pulled the plug on TVR1. The Romanian-language TV station says the shutdown is illegal and it has a valid license to broadcast until 2011. In neighboring Transdniestria, Western channels are freely available and no TV stations have been restricted from broadcasting.

The President of Lithuania told the United Nations that frozen conflicts are not just about conflicts but also about "frozen lives and frozen dreams". He warns against a build-up to war which can shatter the lives of more than a million people in the post-Soviet space. Transdniestria was an old part of Lithuania for almost 200 years.

In Moldova, press freedom is at half-mast on Independence Day says Reporters Without Borders. The international human rights organization condemns restrictions freedom of expression in Moldova. In comparison, neighboring Transdniestria has seen strong improvements in this field in recent years.

The United Nations is raising tough questions about Moldova's record on human rights. A recent string of human rights abuses triggered the alarm over Chisinau's lack of commitment to international standards. Tiraspol Times has obtained a list of the questions.

The ECHR in Strasbourg has found Moldova in violation of its prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. So far, the Moldovan Government has lost 60 cases in Strasbourg. While Moldova is slipping, the human rights situation in Transdniester is gradually getting better.

Human rights abuses are widespread in Moldova, according to the latest country report from Amnesty International. It warns of torture, attacks on freedom of expression, and prosecution of opposition politicians. By comparison, the group had only one single criticism of Transdniestria and that issue has already been resolved by local authorities.