Government to pay €16,500 to young man maltreated during April 2009 events

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) obliged Moldova to pay €16,500 damages to a young man who was maltreated during the April 7, 2009 protests, Info-Prim Neo reports. Moldova was sued at the ECHR by Andrei Taraburca, 23. According to the public association “Jurists for Human Rights”, on April 7, 2009 Andrei Taraburca was in the central square of Chisinau together with a fiend of his. He wanted to take a taxi to go home, but at that moment was forced into a car by three police officers dressed in civvies and conveyed to the Botanica police commissariat. There, he was beaten until he fainted and was then held at Penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau for 30 days. The young man filed two complaints, but the prosecutors did not take legal action. According to the Government of Moldova’s position, the plaintiff wasn’t maltreated while under arrest. He complained about the use of violence by the police only a week after his arrest. The association “Jurists for Human Rights” says the young man had physical and psychological traumas. He was diagnosed with intracranial hypertension and stress. The man was in a good state when he was arrested, as a doctor confirmed, but a week later another doctor identified signs of violence on his face. The fact that the plaintiff did not complain about the brutal behavior of the police does not mean that he wasn’t maltreated. The Court held that Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights – prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment – was violated and awarded the plaintiff €15,000 damages and €1,500 court costs.