Human Rights in Internationally Unrecognized Entities: the Cases of Abkhazia and Transnistria
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External Evaluation of OHCHR Project “Combating Discrimination in the Republic of Moldova, Including in the Transnistrian Region” 2014-2015
External Evaluation of OHCHR Project “Combating Discrimination in the Republic of Moldova, including in the Transnistrian Region” 2014-2015 FINAL REPORT This report has been prepared by an external consultant. The views expressed herein are those of the consultant and therefore do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the OHCHR. December 2015 Acknowledgments The evaluator of the OHCHR project “Combating Discrimination in the Republic of Moldova, including in the Transnistrian Region” is deeply grateful to the many individuals who made their time available for providing information, discussing and answering questions. In particular, the evaluator benefited extensively from the generous information and feedback from OHCHR colleagues and consultants in OHCHR Field Presence in Moldova and in OHCHR Geneva. The evaluator also had constructive meetings with groups of direct beneficiaries, associated project partners, national authorities, and UN colleagues in Moldova, including in the Transnistrian region. External Evaluator Mr. Bjorn Pettersson, Independent Consultant OHCHR Evaluation Reference Group Mrs. Jennifer Worrell (PPMES) Mrs. Sylta Georgiadis (PPMES) Mr. Sabas Monroy (PPMES) Mrs. Hulan Tsedev (FOTCD) Ms. Anita Trimaylova (FOTCD) Ms. Laure Beloin (DEXREL) Mr. Ferran Lloveras (OHCHR Brussels) Table of Contents Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................... -
2016 Human Rights Report
MOLDOVA 2016 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT Note: Unless otherwise noted, all references in this report exclude the secessionist region of Transnistria. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Moldova is a republic with a form of parliamentary democracy. The constitution provides for a multiparty democracy with legislative and executive branches as well as an independent judiciary and a clear separation of powers. Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral parliament. Pro-European parties retained a parliamentary majority in 2014 elections that met most Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe, and other international commitments, although local and international observers raised concerns about the inclusion and exclusion of specific political parties. On January 20, a new government was formed after two failed attempts to nominate a candidate for prime minister. Opposition and civil society representatives criticized the government formation process as nontransparent. On March 4, the Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional an amendment that empowered parliament to elect the president and reinstated presidential elections by direct and secret popular vote. Two rounds of presidential elections were held on October 30 and November 13, resulting in the election of Igor Dodon. According to the preliminary conclusions of the OSCE election observation mission, both rounds were fair and respected fundamental freedoms. International and domestic observers, however, noted polarized and unbalanced media coverage, harsh and intolerant rhetoric, lack of transparency in campaign financing, and instances of abuse of administrative resources. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Widespread corruption, especially within the judicial sector, continued to be the most significant human rights problem during the year. -
The Impact of the European Court of Human Rights on Justice Sector Reform in the Republic of Moldova
Journal of Liberty and International Affairs | Vol. 4, No. 2, 2018 | eISSN 1857-9760 Published online by the Institute for Research and European Studies at www.e-jlia.com © 2018 Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan This is an open access article distributed under the CC-BY 3.0 License. Peer review method: Double-Blind Date of acceptance: September 16, 2018 Date of publication: November 12, 2018 Original scientific article UDC 341.645.544.096(478) THE IMPACT OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan Associate Professor of Political Science, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, United States of America Fulbright Scholar Moldova 2010, 2012 jsm2[at]usfsp.edu Abstract For this study, I reviewed the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights against the Republic of Moldova and the corresponding reports of the Committee of Ministers from 1997 through 2014. In addition, I interviewed more than 25 lawyers, judges, and human rights advocates. After analyzing the effectiveness of the Court in terms of compliance with the judgments in specific cases (individual measures), I will assess the broader impact of these decisions (general measures) on legal reforms and public policy in the Republic of Moldova. I will evaluate the effectiveness of the decisions of the ECtHR in the context of the implementation of Moldova’s Justice Sector Reform Strategy (2011-2015), the Council of Europe’s Action Plan to Support Democratic Reforms in the Republic of Moldova (2013-2016), and Moldova’s National Human Rights Action Plan (2011-2014). My findings will offer insights into the constraints faced by the ECtHR in implementing its decisions and the impact of the ECtHR on national legal systems. -
Russia, Georgia and the Eu in Abkhazia and South Ossetia
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION: RUSSIA, GEORGIA AND THE EU IN ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA Iskra Kirova August 2012 Figueroa Press Los Angeles The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and cannot be interpreted to reflect the positions of organizations that the author is affiliated with. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION: RUSSIA, GEORGIA AND THE EU IN ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA Iskra Kirova Published by FIGUEROA PRESS 840 Childs Way, 3rd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90089 Phone: (213) 743-4800 Fax: (213) 743-4804 www.figueroapress.com Figueroa Press is a division of the USC Bookstore Copyright © 2012 all rights reserved Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmit- ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author, care of Figueroa Press. Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an “As is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, neither the author nor Figueroa nor the USC Bookstore shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by any text contained in this book. Figueroa Press and the USC Bookstore are trademarks of the University of Southern California ISBN 13: 978-0-18-214016-9 ISBN 10: 0-18-214016-4 For general inquiries or to request additional copies of this paper please contact: USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School University of Southern California 3502 Watt Way, G4 Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281 Tel: (213) 821-2078; Fax: (213) 821-0774 [email protected] www.uscpublicdiplomacy.org CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy CPD Perspectives is a periodic publication by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and highlights scholarship intended to stimulate critical thinking about the study and practice of public diplomacy. -
Moldova Page 1 of 33
2010 Human Rights Report: Moldova Page 1 of 33 Home » Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs » Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor » Releases » Human Rights Reports » 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices » Europe and Eurasia » Moldova 2010 Human Rights Report: Moldova BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices April 8, 2011 Moldova [1] is a republic with a form of parliamentary democracy. The country has an estimated population of 3.56 million, including an estimated 600,000 to one million citizens living outside of the country. The constitution provides for a multiparty democracy with legislative and executive branches, as well as an independent judiciary and a clear separation of powers between them; however, under the previous government led by the Party of Communists (PCRM), which was in power until September 2009, the president heavily influenced the three branches of government. In July 2009 parliamentary elections, four opposition parties won enough seats to establish a governing coalition, known as the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), which entered office in September 2009. On November 28, the country held parliamentary elections that international observers stated met most Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Council of Europe (COE) commitments. On December 30, the Liberal Party (PL), Democratic Party of Moldova and the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) announced the formation of a second AEI coalition government. Security forces reported to civilian authorities. There were reports of police beatings, arbitrary detention by police, and occasional illegal searches. Corruption within the police and judiciary remained endemic. -
THE AUDIT of the DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM of REPUBLIC of MOLDOVA Anthology of Analysis on Governance
THE AUDIT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Anthology of Analysis on Governance Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul” THE AUDIT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Anthology of Analysis on Governance Authors: Veaceslav Berbeca Cornel Ciurea Marin Gurin Ion Guzun Lilia Ioniță Sergiu Lipcean Leonid Litra Ion Osoian Translation from Romanian to English: Cristina Coțofană Cristian Ciobanu Diana Loznean Victoria Sargu The Audit of Democracy was elaborated on the methodology of the International Institute for Democracy and Elec- toral Assistance. This product was financially supported by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Black Sea Trust, the German Marshall Fund, or its partners. For any information related to this study, please contact the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives „Viitorul”, Product Coordinator: Leonid Litra. Address: MD-2005, Republic of Moldova, Chişinău, 10/1 Iacob Hancu str., IDIS „Viitorul Tel: 37322-22-18-44, Fax: 37322-24-57-14 e-mail: [email protected] şi [email protected] © IDIS Viitorul, 2011 THE AUDIT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA 3 Anthology of Analysis on Governance Ackowledgements The publication THE AUDIT OF THE DEMORACTIC SYSTEM OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, Anthology of Analysis on Governance- was elaborated by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”. At the research elaboration also contributed experts that preferred to remain anonymous. We would like also to express our gratitude to foreign experts who offered pertinent comments for the improvement of this study. THE AUDIT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA expresses the personal opinions of the authors, which may not coincide, with those of IDIS “Viitorul”. -
The Remaking of the Dacian Identity in Romania and the Romanian Diaspora
THE REMAKING OF THE DACIAN IDENTITY IN ROMANIA AND THE ROMANIAN DIASPORA By Lucian Rosca A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Sociology Committee: ___________________________________________ Director ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Department Chairperson ___________________________________________ Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Date: _____________________________________ Fall Semester 2015 George Mason University, Fairfax, VA The Remaking of the Dacian Identity in Romania and the Romanian Diaspora A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at George Mason University By Lucian I. Rosca Bachelor of Arts George Mason University, 2015 Director: Patricia Masters, Professor Department of Sociology Fall Semester 2015 George Mason University Fairfax, VA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis coordinators: Professor Patricia Masters, Professor Dae Young Kim, Professor Lester Kurtz, and my wife Paula, who were of invaluable help. Fi- nally, thanks go out to the Fenwick Library for providing a clean, quiet, and well- equipped repository in which to work. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Tables................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ............................................................................................................... -
"Frozen" Human Rights in Abkhazia, Transdniestria, and the Donbas: the Role of the OSCE in a Shaky System of Internati
In: IFSH (ed.), OSCE Yearbook 2017, Baden-Baden 2018, pp. 181-200. Lia Neukirch “Frozen” Human Rights in Abkhazia, Transdniestria, and the Donbas: The Role of the OSCE in a Shaky System of International Human Rights Protection Mechanisms Introduction The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1990 and 1991 led to the formation of several new countries with little or no previous experience of statehood. The national movements in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine combined their struggle to “escape” the Soviet Union with ambitious pro-Western agendas. At the same time, these struggles over the political direction of the newly created states – whether more towards Moscow or closer to Europe – have been accompanied by powerful secessionist movements that have challenged the territorial integrity of the young states themselves. While the latter were fighting to create their own fragile democracies, separatist military groups carved out the secessionist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Trans- dniestria, and, most recently, the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in the Donbas region of Ukraine, profiting from political and socio-economic instability and augmenting their power with Russian support to create de facto entities. Both Abkhazia and Transdniestria are considered “classic” frozen con- flicts, while the recent conflict in Donbas is not yet openly referred to as such; the level of violence is still too high, and the political magnitude of the conflict is considered too great for open acceptance, with the result that it might remain unresolved for a prolonged period of time. Nonetheless, it is highly probable that Luhansk and Donetsk will follow the same path as the older frozen conflicts, becoming “another frozen conflict”,1 as President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation declared on 13 November 2015. -
Land Violation of Children's Rights in Gali District
No Future Violation of Children’s Rights Land in Gali District Contacts E [email protected] W http://truth-hounds.org/en/ https://www.facebook.com/truthhounds E [email protected] W https://www.nofutureland.org/ https://www.facebook.com/Nofutureland/ Contents Executive Summary 4 Introduction 5 Sources of Information and Methodology of Documentation 7 The Rights of Children to Life and Health 8 Right to Education 12 Freedom of Movement 18 Legal Qualifications 23 The Right to Education 24 Freedom of Movement 25 The Right of Children to Life and Health 26 Conclusion and Recommendations 28 Authors of the Report 29 4 Executive Summary This report presents compelling evidence of human rights violations in occupied Abkhazian territories, specifically in Gali district, a predominantly Georgian part close to the boundary line. As for the time of the publication of this report, the people living in Gali are lacking the opportunity to cross the demarcation line without restrictions, they become victims of arbitrary detentions and illegal imprisonment, have limited accessibility to health services and are forced to apply for an “Abkhazian Passports” to get to work, to travel within and out of the region, etc. The right to education of children living in Gali is also violated. Their right and opportunity to education in their native Georgian language are deprived because Georgian was replaced with Russian at all schools of lower and upper zones of Gali in 2015. Children are the victims of “Russification”, ethnic discrimination and suppression of their Georgian identity. The amount of children crossing the boundary line on a daily basis, to study at schools on Tbilisi-controlled territory, is decreasing with every year. -
A N N E X E S
13255/07 Georgia v. Russia (I) A N N E X E S Annex 1 Summary of documents submitted by the applicant Government I. In their application of 27 March 2007 A. Summary of documents in English and Russian C. Summary of statements of Georgian citizens B. + D. Summary of media coverage of events II. In their observations in reply of 5 May 2008 Summary of documents in Georgian / Russian Annex 2 Summary of documents submitted by the respondent Government I. In their observations of 26 December 2007 . Summary of documents in Russian II. In their additional observations of 23 September 2008 . Summary of documents in Russian Annex 3 Report of 22 January 2007 by the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly 1 13255/07 Georgia v. Russia (I) Annex 1 I. A. Summary of the documents in English and Russian submitted by the applicant Government in their application of 27 March 2008 number Document type date 1 Summary/Translation The applicant Government submitted the Agreement between Georgia and Russia on the Terms and Rules of the temporary functioning and withdrawal of Russian Military Bases and other military facilities belonging to the Group of Russian Military Forces in Transcaucasia deployed on the Territory of Georgia. The Agreement was drawn up in Russian and Georgian and signed by both parties in Sochi, Russian Federation, on 31 March 2006. number Document type date 2 A. Council of Europe press release 6 October 2006; B. Council of the European Union press release 16-17 October 2006; C. Speech by Ms Benita Ferrero-Waldner, member 25 October 2006 of the European Commission with responsibility for and 6 March 2007 External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy D. -
The Extraterritorial Application of the European Convention on Human
! FACULTY OF LAW Lund University Lidia Carchilan The extraterritorial application of the European Convention on Human Rights and the United Nations Convention against Torture in frozen conflict regions as a tool of ensuring the prohibition of torture — the cases of Transnistria and Abkhazia JAMM07 Master Thesis International Human Rights Law 30 higher education credits Supervisor: Vladislava Stoyanova Term: Spring term 2019 !1 of !75 Table of contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….3 Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………….4 Abbreviations and acronyms…………………………………………………………5 Map no.1 of the Soviet Union and map no.2 of contemporary Abkhazia……………6 Map no.3 of contemporary Transnistria and map no.4 of contemporary Eastern Europe……………………………………………………………………….….……7 Chapter 1. Thesis outline and historical background……………………………8 1.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………….8 1.2. Research questions, motivation of choice and limitations, previous research and contribution to scholarship………………………………………………….………10 1.3. Theory and methodology ………………………………………………………13 1.4. Historical background - Transnistria and Abkhazia……………………………14 Chapter 2. Jurisdiction and responsibility of States for activities perpetrated outside their territory…………………………………………………………….24 2.1. The notion of jurisdiction………………………………………………………24 2.2. International Court of Justice (ICJ) - attribution of conduct under the strict and effective control test………………………………………………………………27 2.3. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) - attribution of conduct under the overall control test……………………………………………28 2.4. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) jurisdiction under the effective overall control test…………………………………………………………………29 Chapter 3. Legal considerations regarding extraterritoriality of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)…………………………………………31 3.1. General case-law that developed the extraterritorial nature of the ECHR……..33 3.2. Specific ECtHR case-law concerning the frozen conflict regions of Transnistria and Abkhazia………………………………………………………………………38 Chapter 4. -
Routes Across the Nistru Transnistria: People’S Peacemaking Perspectives
REPORT Routes across the Nistru Transnistria: People’s Peacemaking Perspectives May 2011 Routes across the Nistru Transnistria: People’s Peacemaking Perspectives SAFERWORLD MAY 2011 Acknowledgements This report was written by John Beyer of St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. The research was conducted by John Beyer in co-operation with Victor Chirila and Radu Vrabie of the Foreign Policy Association of Moldova (APE). Comments were provided by Laurence Broyd, Sabine Freizer, Stefan Judge, Walter Kemp, Margareta Mamaliga, Nicu Popescu, Stefan Wolff, Janet Gunn, Keith Shannon, Victor Munteanu, as well as colleagues from Saferworld and Conciliation Resources. The publication was edited by John Newman and designed by Jane Stevenson. This report was prepared under the People’s Peacemaking Perspectives project. The People’s Peacemaking Perspectives project The People’s Peacemaking Perspectives project is a joint initiative implemented by Conciliation Resources and Saferworld and financed under the European Commission’s Instrument for Stability. The project provides European Union institutions with analysis and recommendations based on the opinions and experiences of local people in a range of countries and regions affected by fragility and violent conflict. © Saferworld May 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Saferworld welcomes and encourages the utilisation and dissemination of the material included in this publication. This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Saferworld and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.