U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture: Moldovan police officers use torture to extract confessions

On September 16, Manfred Novak, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment released a report on Moldova after a visit to the country between July 4 and 11.

Mr. Novak noted that the mechanisms intended to protect Moldovans from torture, like the impartiality of judges, are very limited in the country.

He added that police officers use torture to extract confessions from suspects, and that the events of April 6-8 were a considerable step back in terms of respect for human rights in the country.

After peaceful protests on April 6 degenerated into the violent devastation of the Parliamentary and Presidential buildings in downtown Chisinau on April 7, hundreds of young men and women were detained in police stations. There were wide allegations of torture, which have been collected by organizations like Amnesty International. At least one death - that of Valeriu Boboc - has been tied to the harsh governmental repression on the night between April 7 to April 8.

h/t www.jurnal.md