Reports
LAWYERS ARE COMPLAINING COMMUNIST AUTHORITIES BLOCK THEIR WORK
Chisinau. Moldovan lawyers are maintaining that the ruling Communist Party, by using the General Prosecutor's Office and power structures, would not stop its attempts to paralyze the legitimate and correct execution of lawyers’ professional duties.
Prominent defender Vitalie Nagacevschi stated at a news conference in Infotag today that lately Moldovan lawyers have been feeling a constantly growing pressure put on them by the law-enforcement.
“All this began after when the Communist Party leadership had stated that these are lawyers who are responsible for Moldova’s losing so many suits in the European Court of Human Rights. But we only defend citizens’ rights that were violated by judges working in the interests of the ruling party. Recently, for instance, the ECHR passed a ruling against the Government of Moldova and in favor of Chisinau lawyer Oleg Manchevsky. He acted as defender on the case of the loud murder of Piotr Sary, and was defending the presumed killer of that outstanding Moldovan businessman. As Manchevsky would not agree to collaborate with the interested law-enforcement, judge Elena Cobzar issued an order to search through the lawyer’s office and home. That was a serious violation of the lawyer’s professional rights, in particular an infringement on his right to have professional secrets”, Nagacevschi said.
Eventually, the ECHR decided that the Government of Moldova must pay 2.5 thousand euros as a compensation of damage and 1.5 thousand euros as costs. At the moment, there are quite a few claims at the ECHR lodged by Moldovan lawyers and waiting their turn, he said.
Lawyer Alexandru Tanase presumes that journalism and advocacy are the most oppressed professions in Moldova. He stated there were instances when lawyers heard overt threats for their applications to the European Court of Human Rights.
Tanase pointed out an interesting observation: the above-mentioned judge Elena Cobzar conducts quite many prominent cases of presumed killers. Besides the case of Piotr Sary, such were the murder of the son of MP Eugenia Ostapciuc (a top-level Communist Party functionary), and the Heroine Case, and other.
“There are no proofs that the procedure of distribution of cases among judges was violated in any way. But the fact that the most sensitive litigations are entrusted only to her is causing questions concerning her independence”, Tanase said.
The lawyers have sent to the General Prosecutor's Office and to the Supreme Magistracy Chamber an inquiry demanding to examine Elena Cobzar’s actions with respect to the Manchevsky case.
