“Despite the reforms undertaken to date, further sustained efforts are needed in order to address deficiencies in the justice sector, strengthen the judiciary’s efficiency and impartiality, and restore public trust. In contrast, I was heartened to learn about progress achieved with regard to the legal framework and raising awareness about domestic violence and gender equality”, said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of his five-day visit to the Republic of Moldova.
While acknowledging efforts to reform the prosecutorial service, including through the adoption of new legislation, the Commissioner was concerned by persisting reports of prosecutorial bias in judicial proceedings, and of cases of intimidation and harassment of lawyers. “The right to a fair trial is a fundamental human right, and the principle of equality of arms must be respected. Persons charged with crimes should benefit from the presumption of innocence and quality legal defence”. Several interlocutors, including officials with whom the Commissioner met, acknowledged that a number of long-standing issues related to the judiciary still need to be addressed effectively, including the excessive use of detention on remand, which has been identified as a key problem concerning Moldova in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
