The human rights situation in the Transnistrian region was addressed at yesterday's meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. The Moldovan delegation addressed the issue of illegal posts installed in the Security Zone, the restriction of free movement and the violation of human rights in the Moldova's Transnistrian region by the Tiraspol regime.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration noted that, in particular, the OSCE participating States had drawn attention to the deteriorating situation in the Security Zone as a result of the destructive actions of Tiraspol, which speculates on the COVID-19 pandemic situation for political and self-isolation purposes of the region by installing a series of illegal checkpoints.

The Moldovan Delegation highlighted the illegal nature of the control infrastructure and the traffic restrictions imposed by Tiraspol, stressing that they erode the Security Zone regime, compromise the existing peacekeeping mechanism and are a factor of tension and destabilization of the situation in the region. 

Also, the participating states were informed about the worsening of the human rights situation on the left bank of the Dniester, with reference to cases of convictions and abusive detentions, arrests, detentions and intimidation on the grounds of expressing civic opinion.

The sequestration of the Floresti Police Inspectorate collaborator Andrei Amarfi, mediators and observers in the 5 + 2 format was also brought to the attention of the OSCE, being called to intervene operatively in elucidating and solving the case.

The Permanent Delegations of the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey expressed concern at the worsening human rights situation in the Transnistrian region, the introduction of illegal checkpoints and the restriction of free movement in the region, demanding the unconditional removal of all barriers to the free movement of the population on both banks of the Dniester.

The international actors reconfirmed their support for the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders, and called on the OSCE Mission to Moldova to intensify monitoring of the situation in the Security Zone and the Dniester.