The Promo-LEX Association is calling on the Government of the Republic of Moldova to impose individual sanctions on Vadim Krasnoselski, the leader of the administration in Tiraspol, whom it identifies as responsible for human rights violations in the Transnistrian region. The organisation is seeking a ban on his entry into Moldova and the freezing of his assets.
In a legal opinion submitted to the authorities on November 11, Promo-LEX called for the Interinstitutional Supervisory Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, to be convened within 30 days. The council would be expected to impose restrictive measures on individuals within the Tiraspol structures involved in torture and arbitrary detention. The association proposes that Vadim Krasnoselski be included on the initial sanctions list.
Promo-LEX is also urging the Government to abandon the announced travel ban, introduced on November 5, and instead apply the measures explicitly provided for by law: an entry ban into the Republic of Moldova and the freezing of funds.
According to the organisation, a prohibition on leaving the country has no legal basis in Krasnoselski’s case because he is not a citizen of the Republic of Moldova. Promo-LEX argues that the law allows such a restriction only under specific conditions and on the basis of an order issued by a prosecutor or judge.
The association cites Law No. 25/2016 on the Application of International Restrictive Measures, which has allowed the Republic of Moldova, since December 2023, to impose individual sanctions on people responsible for torture, arbitrary detention and systematic violations of freedom of expression.
Promo-LEX says Vadim Krasnoselski is mentioned in its documentation of human rights violations. The alleged abuses include the refusal to transfer an ill detainee to a civilian hospital, amendments introduced in 2022 to the region’s so-called Criminal Code, which established penalties for applying to constitutional or international courts, and the refusal to grant a pardon to Victor Plescanov.
The organisation also refers to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. According to Promo-LEX, between 2004 and May 2026, the Court ruled on 65 cases involving applicants from the Transnistrian region, finding violations of the right to liberty in 26 cases and of the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment in 21 cases.
Promo-LEX is also proposing amendments to Law No. 25/2016 to allow the freezing of funds belonging to Moldovan citizens who hold positions within the Tiraspol structures. At present, according to the organisation, the law permits this measure only under certain conditions for dual citizens residing abroad.
The association is asking the Ministry of Justice to draft the proposed legislative amendments within 60 days and the Prosecutor General’s Office to examine the possibility of initiating criminal proceedings over the documented acts.
The organisation’s demands follow a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who presented Vadim Krasnoselski with the Russian Order of Honour on November 4. A day later, the Bureau for Reintegration Policies announced that restrictive measures would be imposed on the Tiraspol leader, including a five-year ban on leaving the Republic of Moldova.