ADDRESSES OF CENTERS OF LEGAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF TORTURE
Chisinau,
71 Bucuresti str.
Tel. 067203040
Comrat,
21/3 Tretiacova str.
Tel. 078899110
Tiraspol,
12/12 Shevchenko str.
Tel. 077973007
Services offered by the Centers of Psychological and rehabilitation Assistance to victims of torture:
1) primary psychological assistance to victims of torture;
2) long-term psychological assistance to victims of torture;
3) psychological assessment of personality and testing in order to identify options for providing psychological assistance to victims of torture;
4) assistance (including confidential conversations) for restoring psychological and emotional state;
5) improving relationships with family members and friends, and restoring trust in other people;
6) support for developing self-determination and choice of occupation;
7) rehabilitation assistance to the victim, etc. (depending on the psychological state of the victim).
Assistance offered by the Centers:
After the victim of torture and ill-treatment addresses the Center, the Center’s specialists, i.e. the lawyer and the psychologist provide free legal and psychological assistance for the purpose of “healing” the beneficiary.
Legal assistance:
The beneficiaries are offered individual legal counseling and individual recommendations on further actions to be taken while appealing against the officials’ actions and bringing them to justice; statements and appeals to the authorities are drafted, etc.
Psychological assistance:
Support/assistance to the beneficiaries who suffered from torture and ill-treatment and applied to the Center is responding to the victim’s statement promptly and urgently.
Individual psychological consultations on the method of the beneficiary’s rehabilitation and re-socialization are provided; administrative and social resources are integrated and promptly involved while offering medical assistance and employment opportunities and are accompanied by the psychologist’s work.
Repeated psychological consultations on the victim’s psychological recuperation are provided. The system of individual psychological counseling and successive recommendations determined through interviews, meaningful clarifications, and scheduled psychological testing of the victim is applied.
The program for the beneficiaries’ employment opportunities which determines their social prospects is being successfully implemented.
TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF ACTIONS:
Legal assistance provided by the Center:
– The beneficiary’s repeated consultation with the lawyer is an indicator of the fact that the specialist has managed to gain the beneficiary’s trust, and the level of legal support/assistance provided meets the beneficiary’s demands.
– In addition, after counseling, the specialist interviews the beneficiary in order to find out whether they are satisfied with the quality of the services provided; as a result, an assessment blank is filled. The purpose of the assessment blank is to determine the efficiency of legal assistance provided. If an individual legal consultation has taken place, the assessment blank is filled by the beneficiary independently. After a telephone consultation, the assessment blank is filled by the lawyer on the basis of the beneficiary’s opinion.
Psychological assistance provided by the Center:
– Victims who have been in traumatic situations and have experienced torture or severe types of physical and psychological violence are in a situation that entails various psychological and psychosomatic disorders.
The search for optimally available forms of employment for the beneficiaries and practical results of getting a job accompanied by the psychologist or upon the psychologist’s recommendation/agreement provides a steady result of positive socialization and favorable prognosis for the beneficiary, which is also a successful indicator of the psychologist’s work at the Center.
– The psychologist’s recommendations and support to the beneficiaries regarding the possibilities of obtaining unemployment benefits as temporarily unemployed persons and registration at the Employment Center for employment prospects provide a positive result and the beneficiary’s confidence in further socialization, significantly improves their psycho-emotional state and belief that they are not alone and always have an opportunity to contact the Center for support, which is also a successful indicator of the psychologist’s work.
– There are the beneficiaries registered with the psychologist at the Center as persons undergoing long-term comprehensive psychological counseling followed by rehabilitation. This is an indicator of the psychologist’s successful work within the system of the victims’ comprehensive rehabilitation.
– Information provided by the beneficiary about improved relationships in the family, with colleagues, and in society is another indicator of the victim’s successful rehabilitation process.
– Psychological support is provided to the beneficiary who has suffered from torture and severe forms of physical and psychological violence, including the possibilities of passing the MEEDVS (medical expert examination for determining the viability status), which enables the victim to receive a disability benefit, and this indicator improves their psycho-emotional state and social prospects, which is another successful indicator of the psychologist’s work at the Center.
On July 25, 2018, a solemn opening of the Center for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture took place in Comrat. The opening of this Center caused a great public response. The guest of honor at the opening of the Center was Peter Michalko, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.
The inauguration of the Center was also attended by the Counselor for Political Affairs of the EU Delegation in the Republic of Moldova Elena-Alina Doroftei, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Moldova Mihail Cotorobai, the Mayor of Comrat Serghei Anastasov, the Acting Chairman of Comrat District Ivan Topal, the Rector of Comrat State University and the Deputy of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia Serghei Zaharia, the Head of the Main Department of External Relations of Gagauzia Vitalii Vlah, the Head of the Main Department of Health and Social Protection of Gagauzia Alexei Zlatovcen, representatives of the police, penitentiary institutions, etc. The attendees wished the Center success, noting the immense significance of this Center for Gagauzia and promising that their institutions would support the activities of the Center for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture.
Opening the Center, Peter Michalko, Ambassador of the European Union to Moldova pointed out that human rights and democracy were the core values that the EU supported throughout the world; those values were the basis of the relations between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union and our Association Agreement. One of the obligations of the EU was to provide assistance and support for the democratic development of Moldova. The head of the EU Delegation indicated that he was very glad to announce the launch of the project Let’s Say NO to Torture in Moldova: Civil Society against Torture implemented by the Institute for Democracy in partnership with the Media Center of Transnistria and the National Institute of Women of Moldova.
According to Peter Michalko, in 2017, it became clear that in the Republic of Moldova there were still many problems associated with torture and inhuman treatment, mentioning the case of Andrei Braguta, who had died in a correctional institution due to existing system deficiencies.
The Ambassador pointed out that the European Union supported the police reform in the context of the implementation of the Association Agreement and its agenda. Within the framework of the mentioned budget support program, all the police detention facilities would be renovated. However, the program provided not only for renovating police isolators, but also for changing the attitudes and behavior. The delegation hoped that the phenomenon of torture and inhuman treatment in police custody would disappear.
Peter Michalko noted that the beginning of that project was a new sign that the European Union’s support for the Republic of Moldova was not diminishing: in the coming months, the European Union intended to initiate other projects dedicated, in particular, to strengthening local communities by enhancing close cooperation between state institutions, civil society, and citizens. The citizens of the Republic of Moldova, regardless of their places of residence – Chisinau, Comrat, or Tiraspol – had to be sure that they would remain in the center of attention and support of the EU, the Ambassador Peter Michalko, Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, assured.
Providing qualified assistance to victims of torture was an urgent need, especially since many of those people were unaware of the fact that they were being subjected to inhuman treatment, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Moldova, Mihail Cotorobai, said at the opening of the Center.
The Mayor of Comrat Serghei Anastasov thanked Peter Michalko, EU Ambassador, for helping the European Union in opening this Center and implementing the other projects, noting that their result was noticeable in Comrat. The mayor said that the municipal police had greatly changed.
Serghei Anastasov mentioned that there was a special commission in the mayor’s office which examined cases of domestic violence. According to the mayor, people who come to the authorities for documents and certificates should not be mistreated. The mayor emphasized the importance of punishing people who use torture in penitentiary institutions and other places of confinement.
To conclude, Serghei Anastasov assured that the mayor’s office would cooperate with this Center if necessary, wishing it successful work.
Andrei Borsevski, President of the Institute for Democracy, assured that the Center created with the support of the EU would provide free and anonymous (upon the applicant’s request) legal assistance to those who had been subjected to torture and other forms of inhuman treatment. If necessary, psychological assistance would be also offered to victims. Psychological assistance would enable the victims of torture to cope with the trauma, and gradually find their place in society.
The centers are involved in various awareness-raising anti-torture campaigns. Thus, the Center for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture in Chisinau joined the Campaign in Support of Victims of Torture, participating in a solidarity flashmob against torture organized by the Ombudsman’s Office and held in Chisinau on June 26, 2018.
During the first six months of their existence, over 400 people addressed 3 Centers, including 183 people with problems related to torture. In Chisinau, there were 81 appeals to the Center (38 to the psychologist and 55 to the lawyer, as some persons simultaneously contacted the lawyer and the psychologist), 297 general consultations were offered, including 155 by the psychologist and 142 by the lawyer. In Comrat, 159 persons addressed the Center (88 for psychological counseling, 71 for legal counseling), 118 complaints were received by the Center in Tiraspol (203 consultations were offered: the lawyer held 48 consultations, and the psychologist held 155 consultations).
Examples of cases: Alexandr Grecu (born on February 25, 1975) addressed the Center for Assistance to Victims of Torture in Comrat. He used the hotline asking for legal and psychological assistance in connection with the fact that, on August 18, 2018, in the outskirts of the village of Gavanoasa, Cahul District, he had been unreasonably beaten by the mayor of Gavanoasa Village Ivanov Vadim and the district police officer of the same village Gutu Dmitri. They had kicked him with their feet and hands on different parts of his body.
The beneficiary was given a recommendation to file a complaint to Cahul Prosecutor’s Office in order to bring the persons involved in the above-mentioned actions to justice, and also address for a referral for a forensic examination to register the injuries and determine their severity.
Currently, the case is under consideration by the Prosecutor’s Office of Cahul District. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the mayor of Gavanoasa Village and the district police inspector.
During the consultation, all the elements of the client counseling plan were fulfilled: introduction, contact, collecting the information on the problem, and formulating the problem.
Further work is scheduled to restore the victim’s emotional balance.
Conclusion on the work with the beneficiary: currently, Grecu A.’s complaint is under consideration at Cahul Prosecutor’s Office.
Antonina Petis has addressed the Center for Assistance to Victims of Torture in Tiraspol in order to protect the interests of her son, Mihail Petis, who was serving his sentence at PCD-1 in Glinoe Village. In 2009, he had been arrested for the rape of a minor girl. In 2011, he had been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment; in 2012, according to amendments to the Criminal Code, 5 years of his prison term had been annulled.
- Petis, the mother, has used the hotline of the Media Center complaining that, on August 14, 2018, her son M. Petis serving a sentence at PCD-1 in Glinoe Village was placed into a “pit” (punitive confinement), where he was staying until August 27, 2018. M. Petis was suffering from fever all the time spent in the “pit” (punitive confinement). After leaving the “pit”, M. Petis was sent to the sanitary department.
Even during M. Petis’s stay in the “pit” (punitive confinement), it was known that M. Petis was threatened with being placed in the “drill” (ward-type room) for 1 month.
On September 12 or 13, M. Petis was placed in the “drill” (ward-type room). After his mother’s calls to the head of the State Prison Service of the Ministry of Justice of the PMR and PCD-1, it became known that after 1 day spent in the “drill” (ward-type room), he was transferred to normal conditions.
On November 5, 2018, A. Petis reported that M. Petis was again placed in the so-called “drill” (ward-type room). For 3 months, M. Petis was suffering from fever. The examinations and analyzes did not reveal the cause of the fever.
On November 26, 2018, A. Petis reported that she did not address any authorities because her son M. Petis had told her not to go anywhere, since it could only make the entire situation worse.
On August 15, 2018, primary legal consultation took place. It clarified the procedure for filing a written application to the Ministry of Justice of the PMR and the State Penitentiary Service to find out about the state of health of her son at the moment, as well as the reason for his placement in the “pit”;
– it was found out that M. Petis had filed a case to the ECHR in 2012;
– On September 13, 2018, legal consultation took place. It explained at what stage the case of M. Petis was at the ECHR. It clarified the CPC rules regarding the resumption of the case under the newly discovered circumstances (the mother intended to have the case re-examined). It was decided to provide necessary legal assistance to the convict’s mother.
-On September 28, 2018, she was consulted on the procedure for registering an appointment with the Ministry of Justice, the State Penitentiary Service, and the Ombudsman, and the procedure for a written application to the relevant state authorities;
– On November 6, 2018, A. Petis was offered an individual legal consultation. Samples of applications to the authorities prepared by the lawyer were provided.
– It was recommended to appeal against all the disciplinary sanctions against M. Petis by addressing a higher official, and go to court if the result is dissatisfactory.
– The procedure for appealing against the penalties imposed in accordance with the PEC was explained. It was recommended to register the power of attorney at the head of the PCD, so that A. Petis could represent the interests of M. Petis in the process of appealing against the penalties imposed in the future;
– A draft application to the PCD with the demand to present the information on all penalties applied to M. Petis, including written reports of the PCD staff and the explanations of the convict, was presented (it was clarified that this was necessary in order to appeal against the penalties already imposed).
– On December 14, 2018, the procedure for filing a complaint to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice regarding the failure to provide proper medical care was clarified, and it was recommended to have an examination conducted in a regular medical institution.
Result: Due to the fact that the applicants refuse to take any action, because they fear that it could harm M. Petis, the case is being further monitored. It was decided to periodically contact A. Petish to clarify the situation and learn more about Mihail’s condition.
It was also explained that, if necessary, she could contact the Center at any time and get the necessary assistance.
Ecaterina Lipovcenco addressed the Tiraspol Center on July 19, 2018. According to her, her son A. Lipovcenco, who is serving a sentence at PCD-1, sent her a letter saying that the conditions of his detention were poor, and his health was deteriorating (fecal incontinence, severe dizziness, terrible pain, and fainting), yet he was not given any proper medical care.
The mother repeatedly appealed to the President for the pardon of her son A. Lipovcenco. The attempts to achieve the liberation of A. Lipovcenco failed.
- Lipovcenco needed legal advice on possible solutions in her son’s situation.
On July 20, 2018, an initial legal consultation was held. Copies of available documents were received.
On July 31, 2018, she was consulted about the possibility of filing an application for parole; it was recommended to apply to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health about A. Lipovcenco’s examination, as well as prescribing an effective treatment.
A draft application for parole was prepared and sent; it was clarified which copies should be attached.
It was decided that, after his release, A. Lipovcenco would be consulted about the possibility of filing a complaint to the ECHR about poor conditions of detention.
Anna Jelezoglo (born on March 30, 1989) has addressed us. On July 31, 2018, she filed a complaint to the police inspectorate of the town of Ceadir-Lunga stating that, on July 27, 2018, her ex-husband Jelezoglo G. (born in 1986) had beaten her, hitting her with a flashlight on her head and with his hands on various parts of her body, and also kicking her with his feet, so that her arms and legs had been bruised all over.
However, the complaint dated July 31, 2018, was examined by the district inspector of Ceadir-Lunga Police Inspectorate, V. Radov, who was a neighbor and friend of Jelezoglo G.; therefore, the principle of impartiality in considering and taking a decision regarding the complaint filed by Jelezoglo A. was breached. In addition, the police officer intimidated Jelezoglo Anna (which was regarded as psychological torture by the victim) and the witnesses, and this fact significantly affected the progress of the investigation of the case.
Legal assistance: complaint No 2235 dated September 17, 2018, regarding Radov V., the district police officer from the town of Ceadir-Lunga, who had impeded the consideration of the complaint of citizen Jelezoglo A. by threatening and intimidating her, was drawn up and sent to the prosecutor’s office of the ATU of Gagauzia.
Psychological assistance offered: during the consultation, all the elements of the client counseling plan were fulfilled: introduction, contact, collecting the information on the problem, formulating the problem, and ending the conversation.
The beneficiary had such emotions as resentment, helplessness, anxiety for herself, and self-doubt.
The first consultation was aimed at reducing anxiety. An exercise titled Breathing took place. Subsequent work to restore emotional balance was scheduled.
Conclusion on the work done: currently, the materials of the beneficiary’s complaints are under consideration at the prosecutor’s office of the ATU of Gagauzia. The work with the client continues.
On August 2, 2018, the mother of the prisoner Axentieva S., born in 1985 (Penitentiary 11, cell 38) addressed the Center for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture regarding the detention of her daughter; she also complained about the situation of her fellow inmates, stating that, due to the inaction of the penitentiary administration (the women’s block), they were subjected to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment in prison.
According to the information provided, the detainees are in the overcrowded premises; there are no ladders for climbing the bunker beds; portions of food are small; there is no place for storing personal belongings, including body hygiene kits; there is no ventilation system; the artificial lighting is too weak; dirty mattresses / only one set of bed clothing, which is outworn; low temperature in the cells, etc. There was not enough fresh air and natural light. Artificial light was inadequate. The detainee complains about the presence of mold, insects, and rare access to the shower / bath, including disinfection in the presence of detainees, after which, a strong penetrating and harmful odor persists. Besides, some inventory items, such as bedside tables, clothes hangers, and wall shelves are missing. Such conditions may force prisoners to place plates with food on their knees or legs, store their personal belongings, including dishes, on the concrete floor, which is harmful to their health, and write on their lap or use a chair or bed as a support.
The detainees spent a long time, 6 months, in such conditions. Such detention creates anxiety, frustration, deterioration of health, humiliation, phobia, mistrust, etc.
Assistance provided: During the initial consultation, the lawyer registered the complaint of the victim’s mother and clarified the case data, explained the prisoner’s rights and the ways of protecting them, and made a further action plan.
The lawyer suggested that Axentieva’s mother could clarify the details of her imprisoned daughter’s living conditions during their next meeting, talk to her, and register the complaints (in writing) about the inhuman treatment and poor conditions of detention that fall into the category of torture, to her and her colleagues from the prison administration.
The lawyer from the center explained to the mother how to write and register a complaint on behalf of the prisoner Axentieva to the Ombudsman’s Office in Chisinau.
The case was also forwarded to the Department for the Prevention of Torture at the Ombudsman’s Office with a request for a documentary visit to Penitentiary 11.
The lawyer from the center informed the victim’s relatives of the possibility of bringing a lawsuit against the prison in the event of the institution’s refusal to improve the situation described.
The lawyer from the center had a personal meeting with the representative of the Ombudsman’s Office in Balti, Mr. Cocirli, in order to jointly take control of the living conditions of female inmates in the prison block of Penitentiary 11.
Result of our work: After the joint actions of the Chisinau Center and the Ombudsman’s Office, in Penitentiary No 11, cosmetic renovation started in the affected cells, pest control took place, proper lighting was provided, etc. The situation of the prisoners improved.
Since April 2018, three centers for legal, psychological, and rehabilitation assistance to victims of torture started operating in Moldova (in Chisinau, Comrat, and Tiraspol).
The main objectives of the centers for legal, psychological, and rehabilitation assistance to victims of torture are offering direct free legal and psychological assistance to victims of torture and their social rehabilitation.
During the legal assistance, beneficiaries are offered individual legal advice, as well as recommendations on subsequent actions for appealing against the actions of officials and their further prosecution, and applications, appeals to authorities, etc. are drafted. Legal assistance allows victims of torture to efficiently protect their rights and provides an opportunity to prevent torture against the victim in the future.
Psychological support consists in assisting beneficiaries who have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment and contacted the Center by quickly responding to the victim’s statement. The psychologist suggests recommendations for rehabilitation and re-socialization of the beneficiary by means of interviews, significant clarifications, preliminary psychological testing of the victim, as well as other actions within the framework of individual psychological counseling.
Let us briefly describe a few examples of assistance provided. For instance, in late 2018, Evghenia P. informed the staff of our Center in Chisinau about the problems of her friend who had been hospitalized to the psychiatric institution in Codru Town and suffered from inhuman treatment. The applicant stated that her friend Elena (the name is changed) had attempted suicide, and, as a result she had been admitted to the psychiatric facility in Codru Town. She had been tied up there and was not allowed to see her relatives. She was discharged by that moment, but due to inhuman treatment, the victim needed to consult a psychologist and undergo psychological rehabilitation.
According to the applicant, the victim had signs of binding on her wrists; after her discharge from the psychiatric institution in Codru, she had started feeling apathetic. She was indifferent, unwilling to live, and afraid to communicate with her friend and the world outside.
The victim agreed to start rehabilitation work with the psychologist. During the first meetings, the psychologist worked at beneficiary’s acceptance of the situations by using the Sand Therapy technique. At the second stage, the psychologist used projective methods of work with Elena. At the third stage of the psychologist’s work, the session was attended by both the victim and her friend, so that Elena could objectively assess what was happening to her, improve communication with her friend and relatives, outline her plans for the future, and find a goal to pursue. It was aimed at stabilizing the victim’s emotional background and restoring her self-confidence.
The lawyer explained it was possible to file a complaint with allegations of ill-treatment to the prosecutor’s office, but the victim refused to.
Elena gradually restored communication with her friend and reconsidered the meaning of her life. By the end of her rehabilitation, she is supposed to objectively assess what is happening, restore communication with her relatives, stabilize her emotional background, and regain her self-confidence.
The victim took an actively part in her own psychological rehabilitation: initially, she was reluctant to come to the sessions, and later, seeing an improvement in her emotional state, she began to come often, made her own suggestions, and shared her opinion. Her open-mindedness helped the psychologist in her rehabilitation.
The beneficiary (mother) whose son was in a penitentiary institution addressed our Center for free legal, psychological and rehabilitation assistance to victims of torture in Comrat. After serving a sentence of 13 years, the beneficiary’s son had filed a petition on conditional release to the prison commission. The commission had approved the petition, and the young man had redirected it to court. Several months had passed, but no reply followed. The beneficiary suspected that her son was being kept in prison deliberately, as he was an activist who took part in sports and intellectual competitions where he had won several awards. Thus, it was an illegal detention in the penitentiary. It should be noted that Article 137 of the Criminal Code of the RM regards deprivation of liberty without legal basis, among other things, as inhuman treatment.
In this regard, the beneficiary was offered legal assistance: a recommendation to re-submit the petition from the penitentiary institution to the court requesting to clarify the reasons for the delay in replying to the petition filed before. That work resulted in a satisfactory response from the court, according to which the young man received parole and currently is at home. In addition, the beneficiary also received repeated psychological assistance, and his degree of anxiety was reduced, and the emotional state was stabilized.
On April 1, 2019, a resident of Chisinau contacted our Center for assistance; she had heard about our center in a radio broadcast.
The woman sent a complaint to the Center claiming she, a disabled person of group II, had been subject to torture and inhuman treatment by a police officer. According to her, on March 15, 2019, upon request of the staff of the Department of Social Protection of Low-Income Families, Pensioners, and Veterans, without presenting any reason for the search or introducing himself, the police officer took her to the police station, where she was detained for several hours, standing in a dark corridor, having nowhere to sit down, in spite of her disability. The police officer searched the woman without showing any search warrant and verbally humiliated her.
Upon the beneficiary’s request, the lawyer took a series of actions to inform the victim of her rights. A complaint on behalf of the victim was filed to the Prosecutor’s Office in Chisinau Municipality. She was also offered psychological counseling.
After the complaint was registered, the victim was summoned to provide testimony in a criminal case. Currently, a criminal case regarding the actions of the police officer has been initiated. She is supervised by the lawyer and the psychologist.
Another victim committed an economic crime related to real estate transactions in Transnistria, his business was closed with the complete confiscation of property, and his accounts were arrested and seized. The beneficiary was arrested and sent to the temporary detention center in 2018, and then transferred to Penitentiary Institution No 2 in Tiraspol. In the temporary detention facility, he was subjected to threats, psychological pressure, and torture to make him provide false testimony; he also suffered from beating, slander, and humiliation. In Penitentiary Institution No 2 in Tiraspol, this person was faced with insults, humiliating attitude from the staff and the cellmates, and beatings.
It resulted in health problems: hypertension, impaired vision, headaches, as well as depression and problems with socialization.
On December 5, 2018, after his release, the victim addressed our organization upon the recommendation of a priest from one of the Orthodox churches of Tiraspol: he needed psychological and socialization assistance.
The beneficiary refused from legal assistance.
A confessional conversation (involving a detailed account of events) was held with the victim as a method of alleviating vulnerability; he also did test drawing, and it was analyzed. Practical recommendations on the methods of socialization and communication with the team at his workplace of work were offered to the beneficiary. He was actively involved in working with the psychologist, attentively following the recommendations. Working with the psychologist was based on mutual respect, and both parties listened to each other. Therefore, the victim actively helped his own psychological rehabilitation.
Psychological rehabilitation of the victim took place; he was helped with psychological adaptation in society and socialization in the team at his workplace.
The beneficiary started gradually returning to his regular mental state. He became more self-confident, got a job as a sacristan in a church, and enrolled to the correspondence courses at a religious school in Ukraine, i.e. the victim’s psychological rehabilitation was successful.
On June 18, 2019, the media published information about three young people of different sexual orientation subject to cruel treatment threats, illegal searches, etc. by the police in Balti. GenderDoc-M NGO reported in an article that these facts had actually taken place.
The staff of our Center, having studied the materials, initiated an investigation. During it, the lawyer of the Center learned the data of the alleged victims from GenderDoc-M. He wrote a request to Balti Police Inspectorate to initiate an internal investigation into the allegation of ill-treatment involving the elements of sexual discrimination against adolescents in Balti. Balti Police Inspectorate replied that no complaints from the victims had been received.
The lawyer contacted the beneficiaries, found out the details of the events, and learned how the police officers had humiliated the LGBD community representatives. The lawyer informed the beneficiaries of the possibilities of providing legal assistance and helped them draft a complaint to the prosecutor’s office. A criminal case was initiated. The lawyer and the psychologist assisted the beneficiaries. It is being currently investigated. The beneficiaries were glad to learn about the actions of the representatives of the Center and the fact that a criminal case was initiated with their assistance. The investigation is monitored by the lawyer.
On August 12, 2019, a mother came to the Center with her last hope and a page from Argumenty i Fakty newspaper in her hand where the addresses of the centers were published. With tears in her eyes, the woman asked us for help and intervention.
The Center coordinator listened to her attentively and registered her complaint, in which the mother told that her son had been injured by negligence in his youth and subsequently received a disability group. For over 30 years, he had been a regular patient of the psychiatric clinic in Codru Town.
In the 1990s, the hospital attendants had beaten her son, who had urgently had an operation to save his life. She had forgiven those hospital attendants, taken her complaint back, and they had been fired. She had not worried about her son ever since, as he had been well treated, but his behavior had changed last year, and she suspected that her son was being abused or treated improperly. After treatment in the clinic, her son felt worse, he was aggressive and uncontrollable, and she was afraid for her life and for the life of her son.
The psychologist was working with the woman for a month, in the office and on the phone, and consulted both her and her son; as a result of the analysis of the mother’s situation, a list of actions was prepared to improve the relationship between her and her son.
The lawyer explained the steps of filing a complaint to the prosecutor’s office to the mother, and also suggested clarifying the situation with her son by sending an official request to the psychiatric clinic in Codru on behalf of the Center. The woman agreed that the Center could send a request, and gave her consent to the following actions. As a result, a reply was received from the specified clinic saying that their beneficiary had been registered at the clinic for a long time and that the treatment he had was prescribed by the doctor; it was emphasized that transferring the patient to another institution would harm him, but they considered the Center’s request and organized an internal investigation.
Two weeks later, the mother came to the Center and thanked us for assistance. She said that her son was in a good mood, and he was treated better. The mother refused to follow the lawyer’s suggestion to file a complaint to the prosecutor’s office, saying it was no longer necessary.
A woman addressed our Center saying that her son was in a penitentiary institution, where he suffered from psychological and severe physical violence from the staff of the institution. It was due to the fact that he had sent a complaint regarding their actions to the prosecutor’s office. The Center’s employees provided legal assistance in filing a complaint to Leova Prosecutor’s Office to bring to justice those involved in breaching the beneficiary’s rights. Currently, the prosecutor’s office is verifying the facts related to the above complaint. The fact that the beneficiary was tortured has already been confirmed.
On December 5, 2018, upon the recommendation of the priest of the Orthodox temple in Tiraspol, a victim addressed us with a request to provide psychological assistance for his socialization. In 2018, this person used to take and distribute drugs in Transnistria. He had been detained by a special rapid-deployment detachment during a raid, beaten, and arrested. He had been subjected to psychological and physical torture during interrogations.
The victim had been placed in a temporary detention facility, where he had been subjected to interrogations with beatings and psychological and physical torture in order to force him to take all the blame upon himself. In Penitentiary Institution No 2, the victim had been insulted, beaten, and bullied.
The person started suffering from neurological psychoses, psychological depression, tension, and nervous breakdowns.
During our work with the beneficiary, a therapeutic conversation was held to provide psychological support, and psychological information and practical assistance in socialization were offered.
He was in a depressed psychological state, needed psychological counseling to adapt in society, and received it. Due to his work with the psychologist, he overcame the psychological crisis.
Having received support and counseling from the psychologist, the beneficiary became more self-confident, started feeling better in society, underwent psychological rehabilitation, ceased to be afraid of people, and began searching for a job.
A beneficiary has contacted our Center saying he was subjected to ill-treatment by the representatives of the authorities. One day, while he was grazing sheep, the beneficiary’s dog ran away. He began looking for it. Having walked a short distance, he ran into a company of picnickers and asked them if they had seen a dog running by. In response, they yelled that he had interfered with their recreation and started brutally beating him. Among those who subjected him to physical and psychological violence, the beneficiary recognized the mayor and the local police officer from the village he resided in. The victim managed to run away taking advantage of the moment when the offenders eased off their attack.
The beneficiary has been offered legal assistance. He has been recommended to file a complaint to Cahul Prosecutor’s Office to bring to justice the persons involved in the above actions. It has also been strongly recommended that the victim take a referral to have a forensic examination in order to register the injuries resulting from the attack and assess the severity of his injuries.
Currently, this work has resulted in the prosecution of one of the participants of the offense (the local police officer). The beneficiary has also received psychological assistance, his anxiety has been reduced, and his emotional state has stabilized. Besides, he has had some exercises to increase his self-esteem.
A wide resonance was caused by the detention of Moldovan citizens in Bulgaria in May 2019. On May 19, 2019, a group of residents of the Republic of Moldova traveling from Turkey to Moldova were detained by the law enforcement agencies in the territory of Bulgaria. After crossing the border between Turkey and Bulgaria, the vehicles transporting 8 citizens of the Republic of Moldova were detained; after that, they were transported to the city of Lyubimets (Haskovo Province). Only three days later, the detained citizens had a chance to get in touch with their relatives and reported that they were kept almost without any food, no reason for their detention was explained, they were given a phone only once a day for 15 minutes, their confinement conditions were unbearable, and they had no access to personal hygiene products.
After sending the message that they were detained, the citizens could not be contacted for several days. It was known that the detainees were residents of the villages of Cioc-Maidan, Tomai, Avdarma, Copceac, Gaidar, Albota de Sus, and Bascalia.
The information regarding the detention of Moldovan citizens was officially confirmed by the Embassy of Moldova in Bulgaria. It was explained that those persons were detained as suspected of having committed a serious crime in Turkey.
The staff of our Center for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture immediately contacted the Department of External Affairs of the ATU of Gagauzia to find out the names and addresses of the citizens in the above situation and offered their cooperation. The head of the Department of External Affairs of the ATU of Gagauzia V. Vlah provided us with the list of citizens detained in Bulgaria. He explained that they had contacted the Embassy of Moldova in Bulgaria and that the Moldovan citizens would be sent back to Turkey for interrogation and testimony over the coming days. After that, the police would find out who in fact was had breached the law, and those not involved in the crime would be sent back home.
The Center’s employees contacted the relatives of the detained persons in order to provide legal assistance in protecting and restoring their relatives’ breached rights, as well as psychological counseling to the relatives themselves.
During the conversation with the relatives of the persons detained in Bulgaria, it turned out that their family members were detained and kept in cruel, inhuman conditions, no reason for their detention was explained, they were not provided any interpreters, lacked basic hygiene products, slept on the concrete floor, and had no access to normal water. For 5 days, men and women were kept in one cell, the lights were on around the clock, and they had to wash with cold water.
On behalf of the organization, a letter of appeal was sent to the Ombudsman of Bulgaria Maya Manolova to protect the breached rights of the citizens of Moldova detained in Bulgaria. We got a reply from Hristo Atanasov, a member of the team of the Bulgarian National Torture Prevention Authority. According to him, after receiving our letter, a checkup was conducted in Haskovo; he mentions that the citizens in question had no problems with the Bulgarian authorities, yet there were certain issues with the Embassy of Moldova in Sofia, since the embassy was not intended to support them after the first conversation with the Bulgarian authorities.
Our appeal to the Ombudsman of Bulgaria attracted attention of the authorities of this country to our citizens’ situation. The Bulgarian police realized that the fate of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova was being monitored not only in our country, but also by the Ombudsman’s Office of Bulgaria, as well as by the staff of the Bulgarian National Torture Prevention Authority. That fact secured and improved their situation in Bulgaria.
After the end of the detention term of 72 hours, the Moldovan citizens’ preliminary arrest as a preventive measure was prolonged. After that, they were transported to Turkey, to the prison of Eskişehir, where they were interrogated and acquitted after the trial. However, though the citizens bought tickets home for their own money, they could not travel to the Republic of Moldova: at the Turkish airport, they were informed that their names were on the Interpol’s lists. The acquitted citizens were transported to the migration service, where they stayed at the temporary facility and were deprived of their freedom of movement for another two weeks. Two weeks later, the beneficiaries purchased tickets at their own expense again and arrived in the Republic of Moldova on July 22, 2019. However, they got an unreasonable deportation for an indefinite term in Turkey. The acquitted citizens also received a 5-year prohibition to entry to Bulgaria.
The beneficiaries’ relatives told them about our Center, which these persons subsequently visited and where they obtained legal and psychological assistance. A letter of appeal requesting assistance in resolving issues of violation of the rights of our citizens in Turkey and Bulgaria was sent to I. Vlah, the Bashkan of the ATU of Gagauzia. Letters of appeal were also sent to the Embassy of the RM in Bulgaria, the Embassy of the RM in Turkey, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Moldova in Turkey regarding assistance in resolving the issue of annulling the prohibition to entry to Bulgaria. Statements on behalf of the beneficiaries were also sent to the Embassy of Turkey in the Republic of Moldova with a detailed explanation of what had happened to them during their detention in order to restore the breached rights and annul the deportation order.
The Center’s psychologist organized the steps to rehabilitate the beneficiaries after their emotional trauma. Their emotional state was restored during both individual counseling and group work.
Exercises were conducted to restore their emotional state and overcome fear, shame, and resentment.
The psychological assistance provided has been very useful for the beneficiaries, and helps improving their emotional state.
In addition to consulting victims of torture directly at the Center itself, the Center’s employees attend court hearings if necessary and visit beneficiaries directly in prisons.
For instance, on October 23, 2019, the Center’s lawyer and other staff of the Institute for Democracy visited one of our Center’s beneficiaries in Penitentiary No 13 in Chisinau, after receiving written permission from the National Penitentiary Administration of the RM.
The Centers provide legal and psychological counseling to persons who have suffered from torture and their relatives. The psychologist and the lawyer have also visited the beneficiaries, i.e. the persons who have been subjected to torture, and their relatives, at the places of their stay in cases when they have no opportunity to visit the Center. For instance, consultations have been provided at home to the beneficiaries in Tiraspol, Bender, and Dnestrovsc, those residing at the Psychoneurological Residential Care Facility in Tiraspol (9 Gvardeiscaia Str., Tiraspol), etc.
Step-by-step the methodology used for the in-take and identification of victims to be assisted: To obtain an objective idea of the beneficiary’s psychological state, a number of standard assessment techniques are applied: standardized psychological tests, a version of the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Anxiety as a State and Personality Trait Rating Questionnaire (it was revealed that victims often suffer from pronounced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder related to experienced traumatic events).
Methodology of identifying victims of torture: (1) Appeal to the organization regarding ill-treatment/torture from an alleged victim of torture/a family member of a victim of torture (in person or by phone or mail); (2) Information of the circumstances/details of the appellant’s becoming a victim of torture; (3) Filling in a questionnaire on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; (4) Providing or seeking evidence of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
Therefore, first of all, during the initial meeting with an alleged victim, a conversation (interview) takes place in order to clarify all the details of the use of torture (a conversation with the psychologist’s assistance), and a questionnaire about the use of torture is filled in. The beneficiary is explained their rights and opportunities within the framework of the assistance offered. Then the beneficiary writes a statement and/or signs it. After that, the evidence basis is examined (passport, medical certificates, complaint to the Prosecutor’s Office/police) and their copies are attached to the victim’s dossier.
We also monitor public trials to identify victims. The lawyer identifies relatives of potential victims of torture in court, informs them about our work if necessary, and distributes booklets and the contact phone number (in a safe environment, not during the court session).
The partnership agreement with the Ombudsman’s Office is important for identifying victims (the lawyer consults relatives and/or applicants together with the Ombudsman’s Office staff). Besides, the Ombudsman’s Office sends a victim of torture to us for offering further professional support, since the Ombudsman’s Office does not provide any psychological assistance to victims.
Cooperation with the media plays an important role in identifying victims of torture (we conduct information campaigns on a regular basis, including TV and radio programs, and make announcements about our work). Partnerships with other NGOs are important for identifying victims, too (regional NGOs often refer victims of torture to us). We have also founded an anti-torture network of regional NGOs (20 organizations), and they refer victims of torture to us, identifying them in remote areas.
Keeping in touch with journalists and local authorities is important for identifying victims of torture (often people turn to journalists or the mayor’s office for help, and journalists and the local mayor’s office staff who have our contact data redirect the victims to us). For instance, we have a cooperation agreement with the regional media, the mayor of Comrat (the capital of Gagauzia), etc.
To identify victims of torture, we monitor social networks and the media (victims of torture or their relatives often publish information in social networks in order to draw attention to their problem and solve it. By contacting them, we identify and help victims of torture). In addition, media often publishes reports on ill-treatment incidents, and it helps us identify victims of torture.
Psychologist of Centers of Psychological and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture will assist the victims in social adaptation and rehabilitation. The psychologist will visit the victims of torture at home if necessary in order to communicate with them in the atmosphere of trust, in a place a victim finds comfortable. Services offered by the Centers of Psychological and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture: 1) primary psychological assistance to victims of torture; 2) long-term psychological assistance to victims of torture; 3) psychological assessment of personality and testing in order to identify options for providing psychological assistance to victims of torture; 4) assistance (including confidential conversations) for restoring psychological and emotional state; 5) improving relationships with family members and friends, and restoring trust in other people; 6) support for developing self-determination; 7) rehabilitation assistance to the victim, etc. (depending on the psychological state of the victim). The basic objective of these centers is convincing the victims not to withdraw and talk to us about the problem they have been faced with. A part of this inner pain disappears during frank conversations, and the person starts feeling much easier. Centers can save many lives, as even many victims feel isolated, and they become angry and distrustful. The sufferings they had to endure have resulted in serious damage to their health and socialization, and are often life-threatening. The victims fall behind in their development; they suffer from various physical and psycho-emotional disorders. Our main task will be convincing the victim not to become isolated, and talk to us about her problem. A part of the inner pain seems to leave during a frank conversation and the person starts feeling much easier. Therefore, providing psychological support will be very useful for victims of torture.
Beneficiaries of the 3 regional centers for offering direct legal, psychological, and rehabilitation assistance to victims of torture: During the second year of the project, 918 beneficiaries have addressed our 3 Centers for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture (victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – 284). 546 legal consultations and 764 psychological counseling sessions have been held. The 3 Centers has had 531 phone calls and 29 letters.
During the second year of the project, 357 beneficiaries have addressed our Center for Legal, Psychological and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture in Comrat (victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – 27; relatives of victims of torture – 102); 27 of them have been provided continuous assistance in resolving their situations. The Center in Comrat has had 28 phone calls and 10 letters. 190 legal consultations and 167 psychological counseling sessions have been held.
During the second year of the project, 225 beneficiaries have addressed our Center for Legal, Psychological and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture in Chisinau (victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – 164). At the Center in Chisinau, there have been 93 appeals to the lawyer, 101 to the psychologist, and 31 general ones (the total number of appeals is 225). 333 legal consultations and 337 psychological counseling sessions have been held. The Center in Chisinau has had 287 phone calls and 19 letters.
During the second year of the project, 336 beneficiaries have addressed our Center for Legal, Psychological, and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Torture in in Tiraspol (victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – 93). 79 persons have addressed the Center in Tiraspol for legal assistance (victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – 18). The visitors have been provided 24 legal consultations, which include drafting documents. The lawyer is currently working on 10 cases. 260 persons have addressed the Center in Tiraspol for psychological assistance (victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – 78). The reporting period includes 206 psychological counseling sessions, 155 of which are repeated ones. 10 beneficiaries have been having rehabilitation assistance. The Center in Tiraspol has had 216 phone calls.
The Centers provide legal and psychological counseling to persons who have suffered from torture and their relatives. The psychologist and the lawyer have also visited the beneficiaries, i.e. the persons who have been subjected to torture, and their relatives, at the places of their stay in cases when they have no opportunity to visit the Center. For instance, consultations have been provided at home to the beneficiaries in Tiraspol, Bender, and Dnestrovsc, those residing at the Psychoneurological Residential Care Facility in Tiraspol (9 Gvardeiscaia Str., Tiraspol), etc.