Nearly a year after seven Turkish teachers were forcibly expelled from Moldova, the Prosecutor General’s Office has announced a criminal case in response to the abuse of power and overstepping of authority that took place when they were extradited.

The case has been initiated against employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Bureau for Migration and Asylum, as well as employees of the Intelligence and Security Service who were responsible for extraditing the Turkish citizens in September 2018.

After the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Moldova for violating the rights of the Turkish citizens, the country’s Internal Protection and Anti Corruption Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out a service investigation that resulted in the initiation of the criminal case.

The ECHR issued a ruling stating that during the expulsion of the foreign nationals in question in 2018, Moldova had violated Articles 5.1 (the right to liberty and security of person) and 8 (the right to respect for private and family life) of the Convention on Human Rights. The ECHR ruling obliged Moldova to pay a total of €125,000 in damages;  €25,000 each to five of the seven Turkish citizens who filed complaints before the Court.

On September 6, 2018 seven Turkish citizens were expelled from Moldova. They were detained while leaving their homes to go to work.

Intelligence and Security Service stated that the seven Turkish citizens were suspected of having ties to an Islamist group that is carrying out illegal actions in several countries.

According to the European Court, the applicants were removed by an illegal transfer that omitted all national and international legal guarantees. According to the lawyer representing the Turkish citizens before the European Court of Human Rights, the government agent (the Moldovan state) did not present any evidence that the applicants were or are a danger to the security and public order of the Republic of Moldova.  .

Diana Gațcan, gatcan.diana@gmail.com