Position in the context of Tiraspol's continued promotion of the initiative on criminal punishment of citizens who will denounce human rights violations in the Transnistrian region

Following the previously stated opinion: https://gov.md/ro/content/comentariu-legatura-cu-initiativa-tiraspolului-de-persecuta-penal-persoanele-care-vor-sesiza, we note with regret that Tiraspol continues to promote the initiative on the intention to punish, with deprivation of liberty for up to 10 years, persons who will report or file complaints with the competent national authorities or in international courts concerning cases of abuse or human rights violation committed by the representatives of the structures from the Trasnistrian region.

This initiative is inadmissible and very dangerous, it is an attack on democratic values and universally guaranteed standards for ensuring respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms and it will further aggravate the very precarious human rights situation in the eastern districts of the country.

Likewise, it reflects the obvious intention to silence the work of human rights promoters / citizens, as well as to restrict their inalienable rights: free speech, defense, petitioning and much more, which is absolutely unacceptable.

In this regard, a new address was sent through the communication channel with the actors of the "5+2" negotiation format, expressing the alarming and disapproving position of Chisinau and the warning to take additional and prompt measures to cancel the initiative and to renounce measures of enforcing it, otherwise it will lead to undesirable consequences and measures to hold the guilty persons accountable.

Moreover, an emergency call has been sent to the OSCE Mission to Moldova, diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to the Republic of Moldova with the recommendation to use all available intervention tools to stop the illegal and abusive approach promoted by Tiraspol, which gravely violates international human rights treaties and commitments.