EU Parliament Slams Transdniester Rights Violations

Moldova – Transdniester – Igor Smirnov, leader of Transdniester, Tiraspol, 27 March 2005. (TASS)


EU Parliament Slams Transdniester Rights Violations

BRUSSELS, July 12, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning "severe and widespread" rights violations committed by the authorities in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester.
The resolution was adopted unanimously.
Deputy Marios Matsakis who presented a report titled "Human Rights Violations In Transdniester" before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, said a rapid settlement of the dispute between Moldova and Transdniester is needed.
"We strongly condemn the repression, harassment, and persecution of citizens and NGOs currently taking place in Transdniester, which is the work of the totalitarian Transdienistrian regime," Matsakis said. "And we call for a rapid settlement of the 'frozen conflict' in that region, pointing out, adamantly, that the territorial integrity of Moldova must never be put in doubt and that the regime in Tiraspol is illegal and unrecognized, and so it will remain in our eyes and in our decisions."
The nonbinding resolution also says the European Union must become a full participant in the now stalled conflict resolution effort currently involving Transdniester, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).