European Court of Human Rights Finds Moldova Violated Presumption of Innocence in Baștovoi v. Republic of Moldova
Strasbourg, 2 July 2026 — The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled in favor of Moldovan citizen and former Member of Parliament Andrei Baștovoi in the case of Baștovoi v. Republic of Moldova (Application no. 22126/15), finding that the Republic of Moldova violated his right to be presumed innocent under Article 6 §2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The case arose after the Ministry of Internal Affairs published an official press release in October 2011 accompanied by video footage of Mr. Baștovoi’s arrest and the search of his home during an ongoing criminal investigation. The press release went beyond merely informing the public about the existence of criminal proceedings and instead contained statements suggesting that investigators had already established the applicant’s guilt.
The European Court emphasized that public authorities must exercise particular caution in their public communications concerning pending criminal investigations. According to the Court, the Ministry’s statements that authorities had gathered “sufficient evidence to prove the guilt” of those arrested, combined with references to confessions and the publication of footage showing the arrest and home search, created the impression that Mr. Baștovoi was guilty before any court had examined the evidence or delivered a judgment.
The Court reaffirmed that the presumption of innocence constitutes one of the fundamental guarantees of a fair trial and that the language used by police, prosecutors, and other public officials can seriously undermine this protection if it suggests guilt before conviction.
As a result, the ECHR unanimously found that the Republic of Moldova violated Article 6 §2 of the Convention concerning the presumption of innocence.
The Court awarded Mr. Baștovoi:
- EUR 3,600 in compensation for non-pecuniary damage;
- EUR 2,500 for legal costs and expenses incurred before the Court.
The judgment represents an important precedent for Moldova regarding public communication by law enforcement authorities and reinforces the principle that individuals under criminal investigation must not be publicly portrayed as guilty before a final judicial determination has been made. The decision also confirms that civil proceedings in Moldova may constitute an effective domestic remedy for complaints concerning prejudicial statements made during ongoing criminal investigations.
Mr. Baștovoi was represented before the European Court of Human Rights by Moldovan lawyer Roman Zadoinov.
Media contact:
Roman Zadoinov, Attorney at Law
Representative before the European Court of Human Rights
Case: Baștovoi v. Republic of Moldova, Application no. 22126/15
Judgment delivered: 2 July 2026
Court: European Court of Human Rights, Fifth Section, Strasbourg.