The People’s Advocate Office convened on December 06 of this year the human rights defenders within a forum for discussing about the conditions they work in the Republic of Moldova, the national and international mechanisms for their protection. Among the participants there were the representatives of non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights, including of ATUG and Transnistrian region, NTUCM, journalists, legal advisers, representatives of OHCHR and OSCE, the Council of Europe and some diplomatic missions in the Republic of Moldova.   

This event was organized in the context of the 20^th anniversary of the UN Declaration and the 10^th of the Council of Europe on human rights defenders, the 70^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The National Coordinator of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Olesea Perean talked about the importance of UN Declaration on human rights defenders and UN mechanisms for their protection, and the deputy–head of the Council of European Office in Moldova, Eva Gutjahr referred to the role of the CE in supporting and promoting the human rights defenders.  

The People’s Advocate, Mihail Cotorobai announced that the promotion and protection of human rights defenders will be included through the priority directions of the subsequent Ombudsman Institution activity. According to the People’s Advocate this decision was determined inclusively by the intensification in the last period of the intimidation incidents in the address of human rights defenders and degradation of the environment they work in. 

Mihail Cotorobai spoke about ignorance of some recommendations of ombudsmen and proposals of civil society; persecution of some judges for the decisions made in the examined cases; creation of impediments to some lawyers who defend persons undesirable for authorities, blocking the access to hearings, especially in cases of social and political resonance,  imposing barriers for the journalists’ access, especially for the investigative journalists to information of public interests or their threatening or intimidation.

The journalists and representatives of the non-governmental organizations become the target of some discrediting and harassment campaigns, especially on social networks. The Ombudsman in this context invoked the Sor case, where the Orhei mayor afforded insults and threats, inclusively with physical settlement of accounts in the address of political opponents and journalists for the critics made by them.   

Mihail Cotorobai informed the public about the rejection by the Prosecutor’s Office of his request submitted against the order of not commencing criminal case on this matter. Even the request on adoption of the bills on hate and bias speech wasn’t considered by the deputies of the Parliament. The Ombudsman mentioned that this case will be reflected in the ombudsman report on observance of human rights in 2018 year and in the alternative reports of the People’s Advocate on international mechanisms. The Ombudsman also will recommend to the deputies of the new Parliament to adopt the law on hate and bias crime.

The People’s Advocate also referred to the issue of ensuring decisional transparency and the access of peoples and journalists to public interest information.  Peoples, the representatives of civil society have the right to control the actions of their leaders and to involve in complete and opened debates on these actions. They should be able to evaluate the government performance and this fact depends on the access to information on the state of economy, social systems and other public interests matters, declared Mihail Cotorobai.

The Ombudsman also emphasized that the described facts occur while the authorities recognize all the international engagements referring to the protection of human rights defenders and the national law is broadly favorable for the conduct of human rights defenders activity.

The People’s Advocate emphasized that the national human rights institution has an important role in promoting and protecting the human rights defenders.  Mihail Cotorobai said that he will plead for the elaboration and adoption of a law on human rights defenders which will provide a protection mechanism of human rights defenders in line with the international standards.  

He also mentioned that the Strategic Development Program of the People’s Advocate Office for the period 2018-2022 provides the establishment of an Advisory Board attached to PAO of civil society members, with an active role as an opinion leader in the field of human rights. Human rights defenders will obviously enter this council.

The People’s Advocate for children rights Maia Banarescu has pointed out that human rights defenders have always faced problems in their activity and that it is important to have mechanisms at national and international level to protect them. The Ombudsman for children rights also said that the establishment of the Advisory Board attached to the Office of the People’s Advocate in the composition of the most representative non-governmental organizations, will enable the Ombudsmen to adopt fair and impartial positions in their activity. Maia Banarescu also said that the organization of the Forum is the proof of the fact that People’s Advocates are opened to co-operation with the civil society and that they assume the leadership role in addressing more sensitive issues or human rights challenges. 

The representatives of the civil society, including the UTAG (Gagauz Autonomous Territorial-Administrative Unit) and the Transnistrian region, welcomed the idea of setting up an advisory board for human rights defenders attached to the Office of the People’s Advocate, but also the adoption of a law on human rights defenders. The speakers addressed several current topics related to the activity of promoting and protecting human rights or children’s rights.

Department for human rights promotion

Tel.: 060002656