Moldova: Human Rights: 2014

by U.S. Department of State

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. The Alliance for European Integration (AIE) coalition retained its parliamentary majority in the 2010 elections, which international observers stated met most Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Council of Europe commitments. The collapse of the AIE coalition on February 13 after political conflicts within the coalition led to a vote of no confidence in the government on March 5. On April 25, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling barring the former prime minister from office based on allegations of corruption, and on May 30 a new coalition agreement was signed forming the Pro-European Coalition. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Isolated cases of human rights abuses by security forces were reported.

The most significant human rights problem in the country during the year was corruption, particularly in the judicial sector. Judicial institutions resisted the implementation of anticorruption measures outlined in the justice sector reform process. Severe corruption was evident in other sectors as well, including the Tax Inspectorate and Customs. While conditions in psychiatric and social care homes have been poor for years, an increase in allegations of mistreatment, including forced medication, abuse, and forced abortion in these facilities was a second major area of concern. Mistreatment of persons in detention remained a problem.

Other significant problems included harsh and overcrowded prison conditions; erosion of media freedom, including the Supreme Court’s approval of the closure of an opposition broadcaster in 2012, the opaque ownership of media outlets, and increased monopolization of media and the advertising market; restrictions on the freedom of assembly and speech by local authorities; violence against women; trafficking in persons; discrimination against Roma; harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals; limited enforcement of workers’ rights; and child labor.

46 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2014

About the author

The United States Department of State (DOS), often referred to as the State Department , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministry of other countries. The Department was created in 1789 and was the first executive department established.

The Department is headquartered in the Harry S Truman Building located at 2201 C Street, NW, a few blocks away from the White House in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The Department operates the diplomatic missions of the United States abroad and is responsible for implementing the foreign policy of the United States and U.S. diplomacy efforts. The Department is also the depositary for more than 200 multilateral treaties.

The Department is led by the Secretary of State, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet. The current Secretary of State is John Kerry. The Secretary of State is the first Cabinet official in the order of precedence and in the presidential line of succession.