Man suffering from chronic diseases kept in lock-up in penitentiary No. 13

A man who suffers from a number of chronic diseases is held in inhuman and degrading conditions in penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau and is repeatedly put in the prison’s lock-up that meets no EU standard. The case was made known by public lawyers Natalia Molosag and Veronica Mihailov, torture experts of Amnesty International Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. The man is investigated for economic offenses. According to Natalia Molosag, the case was lodged with the ECHR and was already communicated to the Government. The lawyer said the victim’s complaints haven’t been investigated promptly and efficiently and the body specialized in the examination of cases of torture and ill-treatment wasn’t notified. The public lawyers were also informed about another case by the relatives of a man held in the same penitentiary. The 52-year-old man died after developing complications caused by meningitis. His relatives said that before being transferred to the penitentiary, where he spend half a year, the man was healthy. “The fact that the man stayed in prison for such a short period of time, but had such a serious disease is dubious,” said Natalia Molosag. She also said she filed a complaint to the Prosecutor’s Office so that it started a criminal case over the man’s death. Veronica Mihailov said the penitentiary was repaired cosmetically, but the detention conditions haven’t been improved. The jail continues to be crowded. There are no areas for walking outside, natural light, and medical and psychological assistance of a high quality. Igor Stoica, coordinator of the program of Amnesty International Moldova, said that within the “Strategic Litigation – Stop Torture in Moldova” there will be produced a guide for prosecutors and lawyers who deal with cases of torture.