BackIn 2020, there were multiple human rights violations in the Republic of Moldova and some exaggerated restrictions were imposed that had a negative impact on certain freedoms and democratic processes. The COVID-19 crisis has led to deepening poverty, growing inequalities, structural and enhanced discrimination and a worsening of the human rights situation.
The pandemic highlighted neuralgic areas of the human rights system in the Republic of Moldova and the authorities have not always been able to cope with the challenges posed by the inefficient management of the situation or system deficiencies that have not allowed prompt and appropriate actions. The decisions of the authorities in managing the health crisis were influenced more by the political factor and less by the specialists in the field. The authorities have broadly ignored human rights based approaches.
The biggest challenges were related to ensuring the right of access to medical services, to information of public interest, the right to work and to a decent life, to freedom of movement, freedom of expression.
The lack of transparency, ignoring the recommendations from the People's Advocates and other entities or experts in various fields have determined the developments we are currently witnessing in terms of the epidemiological situation and its negative effects on citizens, on the business environment, with long-term socio-economic impact.
In 2020, several events took place that contributed to the restriction of the democratic space in the Republic of Moldova. These include attacks and intimidation towards the independent press and the associative sector; non-transparent and non-participatory decision-making process; the adoption in Parliament of a set of legislative acts without respecting the legislative procedure; the perpetuation and maintenance of hate speech in the public space; electoral process with many irregularities; maintaining of a selective justice and impunity for some human rights violations. All these had negative effects on the public confidence in the democratic institutions in Moldova.
For more information, download the official press release of the People's Advocate below.
Source: Source: The People's Advocate, Republic of Moldova
