Moldova Warned About Laws Giving Security Service More Powers

Experts from the Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe composed of independent experts on constitutional law, warned that new legislation strengthening the powers of Moldova's Information and Security Service's could have a negative effect on democracy in the country.

The Venice Commission, late on Monday, said the legislation could give the SIS "very extensive and undefined competencies".

The Venice Commission said that, given the extraordinary risks to Moldova's national security amid the Russian war against neighbouring Ukraine, the strengthening of the intelligence services is justified but must be done within the limits of international human rights standards.

But the Commission said it believes that bringing in these laws in the current context when the country has been in a state of emergency since the beginning of Russia's invasion "runs the risk of granting expansive powers with little democratic oversight".

MPs from the Action and Solidarity Party, PAS, introduced three laws on the role of the SIS and its officers.

The most controversial proposal is to allow the SIS to conduct surveillance and wiretapping without needing a warrant from and investigating judge, as it is currently regulated.

Ion Manole, the director of Promo-LEX, one of the most influential human rights NGOs in Chisinau, told BIRN that he understands the threats to national security but still believes that in a democratic society, there must be more safeguards.

"Such intentions, even made in good faith, leave room for abuse. Moldovan society is not so advanced from a democratic point of view and in terms of state functionality that we can trust that abuses will not occur," said Manole.

President Maia Sandu has...