Moldova flagged with moderate risk in Global Torture Index, urging police and prison reforms

The Republic of Moldova received a “moderate risk” rating in the 2026 Global Torture Index. The report highlights persistent problems in police brutality, prison conditions, impunity and victim protection. In 2025, 299 complaints of torture and ill‑treatment were recorded; prosecutors opened 76 investigations and fewer than five percent of cases ended in convictions.

Overcrowding remains severe, with Chișinău prison No 13 holding 325 inmates above capacity and Bălți prison No 11 exceeding capacity by 173. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that informal inmate hierarchies violate articles 3 and 14 of the Convention. Moldova lacks an independent civilian body to oversee police conduct, and the current legal framework often classifies torture as a lesser offence.

Promo‑LEX and other civil‑society groups recommend establishing an independent police oversight commission, adopting a law on police use of force, expanding body‑camera deployment, ratifying the Convention on enforced disappearances, setting statutory limits for torture investigations, and transferring prison medical services to the Ministry of Health. Victims rarely receive state compensation; no successful compensation cases have been recorded, and less than a quarter obtain rehabilitation, relying largely on NGOs. Some progress reported includes the cessation of HIV transmission in prisons since 2022, broader use of electronic monitoring, and automatic injury reporting to prosecutors.