Country's security and human rights are not negotiable

Chisinau condemns Tiraspol's unilateral and inadmissible actions to restrict the free movement of citizens, which violate human rights and the statutory documents in the Transnistrian settlement process. The country's security and human rights are not negotiable, said the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Cristina Lesnic. The official convened a press briefing today, after having a hearing in the Parliamentary Committee for Security and Public Order, together with the Minister of Defense.

Cristina Lesnic reminded that, between 17 March and 1 June, 2020, there were 37 new checkpoints installed illegally by Tiraspol in the Security Zone. The Joint Control Commission was not notified about these checkpoints (stationary, mobile, pedestrian) and about installation of other facilities that restrict the movement around 11 localities under the jurisdiction of the constitutional authorities. These localities are Cocieri, Corjova, Molovata Noua, Pohrebea, Varnita, Copanca, Hagimus, Hirbovat, Firladeni, Talmaza, Chircaiesti. The total estimated number of inhabitants in these villages, being affected by the illegal actions of Tiraspol, would be approximately 48,888.

At the same time, Transnistrians have always blocked attempts of the military observers from the Joint Peacekeeping Forces to properly document violations on the spot.

Thus, the presence of illegal checkpoints and refusal to eliminate them, as well as blocking the activity of military observers, distorts the Security Zone monitoring mechanism. This leads to defiance of the peacekeeping operation on the Nistru river and undermines the existing format of this operation, including the deliberate restriction of human rights, in particular the right to free movement.

The ban on entering and leaving the Transnistrian region, announced today, has further strained the population both in the region and on the right bank of Nistru. This population is in dire need to commute and work as to feed their families, to visit a doctor or for other emergency issues.

This “activization” in the Security Zone denotes Tiraspol's strategy, in fact not at all camouflaged, to consolidate its forces on the “administrative line”, this being an extremely dangerous action, which threatens the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova.

We call on Tiraspol to refrain from sanctioning repressions against those who have expressed their dissatisfaction by means of free protests and to examine their requests. 

Cristina Lesnic requested that Tiraspol unconditionally eliminates the illegally installed checkpoints and restores free movement of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova on both banks of Nistru.