19 children were arrested and 10 are missing following unrest in Chisinau, ombudswoman

2009-04-13/13:31/ Chisinau (IPN) Three children are held at Penitentiary No. 13 and one at the Chisinau General Police Commissariat. The other children were put under house arrest, ombudswoman Tamara Plamadeala has told Info-Prim Neo.

"I asked for a quick answer, but the answer came today and this is also good," Tamara Plamadeala said. The Interior Ministry's answer to the application of the lawyer for children's rights submitted on Friday morning came three days later.

Representatives of the ombudswoman went to the places where the children are held to see their condition and if their rights were violated. Besides the answer from the Ministry, Tamara Plamadea la possesses no other information about the arrested minors.

"We don't know what's going on inside. We will go today to see what has happened to the children," the lawyer said.

"We must know how to react. They can attack you from all the sides. I want to act within the law. That's all I want," Tamara Plamadeala said.

Under the legislation, within three hours of the minors' arrest the police must inform the parents, offer them a lawyer and prepare a report on the accusations made against the children.

2009-04-13/15:39/ Chisinau City Hall asks international organizations to intervene and stop inhuman treatment of arrested persons

Chisinau (IPN) The Chisinau administration called on the international organizations to get involved and stop the inhuman and degrading treatment and torture in detention places, Info-Prim Neo reports.
"After the April 7 protests, when the buildings of the Parliament and the Presidential Office were devastated, the police started to frighten and intimidate the people, especially the young persons, including minors. Both devastators and peaceful protesters as well as persons that did not take part in the protests and journalists are arrested," a statement signed by the Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca says. Pictures of maltreated young persons are attached to the document.

The local authorities also say that they have the contact data and video testimonies of the persons on pictures, the names of other persons arrested and maltreated and names of persons reported missing.

"The police intervene forcefully and abduct persons from the street, high schools, universities, dormitories, including from places near churches after the Easter service (the Catholic Easter). The arrest procedure is not observed. Those arrested, boys and girls, are beaten cruelly and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. There were reported cases of torture and a case of death. Some of the arrests are not announced. There are parents that cannot still find their children and cannot obtain information about their whereabouts," the statement says.

According to the quoted source, those that were set free say they were held in miserable conditions (15-20 persons on 10 square meters), beaten brutally and forced to sign false statements.

The statement also says that the hearings are held in police commissariats. The defendants are not offered the right to defense and the access to the detention places is banned, including for lawyers and human rights organizations. "The Mayor of Chisinau w as also denied access, though he repeatedly insisted," the statement says.

The local authorities call on the international organizations to get involved and stop the terror, abductions, threats and intimidation so as to ensure access for lawyers, NGOs and the press to detention places and punish those that committed the mentioned abuses".

On Monday, Dorin Chirtoaca asked all the civil servants to collect testimonies from victims so as to send them as evidence to the international organizations.