The Russian Federation was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for violating human rights in the Transnistrian region. On July 2, the ECHR ruled in several cases of human rights violations on the left bank of the Nistru, obliging the Russian Federation to pay damages of over 80,000 euros.

According to a communiqué from the Government Agent in the Beşleagă case, the plaintiff, a resident of Corjova, claimed that he was detained in degrading conditions for 15 days for expressing his political opinion on the local elections that were about to take place in Moldova. He stated that his detention was ordered by a court in the so-called ” Transnistrian Moldovan Republic” (hereinafter “TMR”), which wasn’t established by law, and that the denouncing governments did not institute any effective national remedy through which the plaintiff could defend his rights, violated by the “TMR” structures.

In the Panteleiciuc case, the plaintiff alleged that he was arrested by a “court” not established by law, in the absence of a reasonable suspicion that he had committed a crime.

The case of Antonov and Others comprises of three separate petitions, in which the plaintiffs invoked the fact that they were held in inhuman conditions in prison in the “TMR”, contrary to Article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”). The plaintiff in Bezrodnii case complained about the alleged maltreatment was subject to during the detention period in order to obtain self-incriminating statements and about the lack of medical assistance in this respect.

The Court established that the Russian Federation is responsible for exercising effective control over the “TMR” structures during the relevant periods in the present case. 

In the Beşleagă case, the Court ruled that there was a violation by the Russian Federation of the Articles 3, 5 § 1, 6 § 1, 10, 13 of the Convention, requiring the Russian Government to pay the applicant 9750 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 1,500 euros as costs and expenses.

In Panteleiciuc case, the Court ruled that there was a violation of the Article 6 §§ 1 and 3 of the Convention by the Russian Federation, declaring the other parts of the claim inadmissible, forcing the Russian Government to pay the applicant 7800 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 1500 euros for costs and expenses.

In Antonov and Others, the Court ruled that there had been a violation of Articles 3, 5 § 1, 8 and 13 of the Convention by the Russian Government, granting each plaintiff 9750 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 1500 euros to cover expenses.