Parliament examined yesterday, during its plenary sitting, the Report on the Respect of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Republic of Moldova for 2025, presented by the Ombudsman, Ceslav Panico, TRIBUNA reports.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation in the country and reflects the monitoring and reporting activities carried out over the past year by the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights.

According to the report, the year 2025 was marked by several positive developments in strengthening human rights protection. These include the digitalization of public services — including medical services — through the introduction of the Electronic Health Record and the expansion of regional services. In the justice sector, measures were advanced to improve state‑guaranteed legal aid, strengthen victim protection, and increase transparency in judicial proceedings.

Progress was also recorded in the reform of the social protection system, as well as in the digitalization of services for older persons, persons with disabilities, and victims of violence. Social services and support mechanisms for vulnerable families were likewise expanded.

In the area of labour protection, the report notes an increase in the minimum wage, measures to encourage youth employment, and the adoption of regulations aimed at preventing and combating workplace violence and harassment. Freedom of expression and access to information also remained priority areas of monitoring, particularly in the context of last autumn’s parliamentary elections and the regulation of the online and media environment.

Throughout 2025, the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights submitted 1,092 recommendations to public authorities, formulated through opinions on draft legislation, thematic and special reports, monitoring activities, studies, and alternative reports. During the same period, the institution received 1,204 complaints — over 20% more than in 2024. The most frequently reported issues concerned the right to a fair trial (225 complaints), the right to private property (78), the right to work (71), the right to life and physical and mental integrity (61), the right to health care (54), and the right to information (41).

In the reporting period, the Ombudsman’s Office carried out 210 preventive and monitoring visits. Of these, 60 focused on preventing torture, 30 on children’s rights, another 30 on the rights of foreigners and asylum seekers, and 90 were documentation visits in individual cases. The institution also produced 47 reports and organized 177 training and information activities attended by more than 5,600 people.

The report also highlights several challenges that continue to hinder the full exercise of fundamental human rights. These include insufficient financial and human resources in the social and medical sectors, unequal access to public services between urban and rural areas, excessively long judicial procedures, and the persistence of undeclared work. Cases of violence against children and women, limited access to mental health services, difficulties in ensuring human rights protection in the Transnistrian region, and an increase in the number of detained and arrested persons were also noted.

The report includes a dedicated analysis of the situation of children’s rights in the Republic of Moldova, presented by the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, Vasile Coroi, highlighting both progress and ongoing challenges. The document outlines actions taken to guarantee the right to life, survival, and development — including measures to prevent suicidal behaviour and monitor risk situations. It also refers to efforts to improve children’s access to medical services and vaccination, as well as measures aimed at ensuring quality education for all children by adapting the educational process to their individual needs.