Moldovan deputy premier says country's security, human rights not negotiated

Chisinau, 2 July /MOLDPRES/ - Chisinau condemns Tiraspol’s unilateral and inadmissible actions of restricting the free movement of citizens – actions which infringe the human rights and the statutory documents in the Transnistrian settlement process. The country’s security and human rights are not negotiated, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Cristina Lesnic said. The official today held a news briefing, after she had been heard, along with the defence minister, in the parliament’s commission for security and public order, the Reintegration Policies Bureau has reported.      

Cristina Lesnic noted that, on the period 17 March – 1 June 2020, decision-makers had recorded 37 new cases of illegal setting by Tiraspol, without notifying the Joint Control Commission (JCC), of control posts (fixed, mobile, pedestrian) and of setting other installations restricting the movement around 11 settlements under the jurisdiction of the constitutional authorities. These settlements are Cocieri, Corjova, Molovata Noua, Pohrebea, Varnita, Copanca, Hagimus, Harbovat, Farladeni, Talmaza, Chircaiesti. The estimated number of the residents of these villages, which could be hit by Tiraspol’s illegal actions, would be of about 48,900.         

At the same time, the Transnistrian side each time blocked attempts by military observers of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces to move on the spot, in order to document infringements according to regulations.  

Thus, the presence of the illegal posts, refusal to eliminate them, blocking the work of military observers unbalances the mechanism of monitoring the Security Zone. This means the defiance of the peacekeeping operation on the Dniester river and undermines the present format of this operation, including the deliberate limiting of the human rights and, in particular, of the right to free movement.       

The ban of the entrance and exit from the Transnistrian region, announced today, caused tension to the residents both from the region and from the right bank of Dniester – a population who urgently needs to move to work and nourish their families, go to doctor and have other emergency aspects.  

This ‘’activization’’ in the Security Zone shows Tiraspol’s not at all disguised strategy to strengthen its forces on the ‘’administrative line,’’ which represents an extremely dangerous action, which hits Moldova’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.    

We appeal to Tiraspol to abstain from repressions of sanctioning against those who expressed discontent through free protests and to consider their approaches.   

Cristina Lesnic asked Tiraspol to unconditionally remove the posts set and reestablish the free movement of Moldova’s citizens on both banks of Dniester.