Written declaration No. 576 | Doc. 13500 | 17 April 2014

Condemning the violation of pupils’ right to learn in their Romanian mother tongue in the secessionist Transnistrian region

Signatories: Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Josep Anton BARDINA PAU, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Christian BARILARO, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Marieluise BECK, Germany, ALDE ; Ms Tinatin BOKUCHAVA, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Corneliu CHISU, Canada ; - Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Josette DURRIEU, France, SOC ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Alina Ştefania GORGHIU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Ms Stella JANTUAN, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Michael Aastrup JENSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Tinatin KHIDASHELI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Jean-Yves LE DÉAUT, France, SOC ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Liliana PALIHOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard PASQUIER, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Ionuţ-Marian STROE, Romania, ALDE ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Johann WADEPHUL, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

The situation of the pupils and teachers of eight schools with teaching in the Romanian language in the secessionist Transnistrian region has worsened dramatically recently. The eight schools under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Moldova are permanently subject to unacceptable pressure from the self-proclaimed administration, such as the freezing of bank, the confiscation of assets, the transfer in inappropriate premises for the educational process. All these pressures are in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, because they lead to the violation of a fundamental right – the right to education, in particular education in the mother tongue.

This ethnic cleansing policy also results from the encouragement of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities by the Russian Federation, a country condemned by the European Court on Human Rights in the case of Romanian schools versus Russia.

We denounce this policy of the self-proclaimed authorities of the secessionist Transnistrian region and recall the need to respect children’s rights, including the right to education in their mother tongue, which is fundamental in a democratic society.