How much do ECHR judgments cost Moldova?
According to the Analytical Paper of the Center for Legal Resources of Moldova (CRJM), compensation for human rights violations in Moldova exceeded 23 million euros. It notes that in 2025, the number of complaints filed against Moldova returned to alarming levels after a significant drop in 2024. There were 468 of them filed with the ECHR, which represents an increase of 28.9% compared to 2024.
On the basis of judgments handed down until the end of last year, Moldova was obliged to pay compensation amounting to 23,402,498 euros. Out of this amount, almost 421,000 euros represent the compensations established in 2025, to which are added the 5,450 euros paid on the basis of settlement agreements (prior to the examination of the case by the ECHR judges) in the previous year.
This growth rate puts Moldova in 4th place out of 46 Council of Europe member states, with Moldovans applying to the ECtHR 4.6 times more often than the European average.
Which rights are most often infringed
The rights to a fair trial (33 violations), protection of property (21 violations) and the right to private and family life (7 violations) are most frequently violated. Most of the violations found in the 2025 decisions were committed at the national level between 2009 and 2015.
“The high number of complaints and the high level of violations found indicate that citizens are seeking justice at European level rather than in national courts. The figures show that the justice system remains the main reason for Moldova’s conviction at the ECHR, precisely in the area where human rights should be protected,” emphasizes Carolina Bagrin, Director of the Human Rights Program.
At the European level, the ECHR registered a total of 31,800 complaints in 2025, the majority of which concerned Turkey (6,743 applications), Poland (3,303 applications), Italy (2,421 applications), Ukraine (2,299 applications) and Romania (1,962 applications). With 468 applications against it, Moldova ranks 18th out of 46 Council of Europe member states.
On the other hand, as of December 31, 2025, there were 53,550 complaints “pending” at the ECHR, 11% less than in the previous year. Of these, more than half concern Turkey, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. In this section, Moldova ranks 9th with 1,141 applications, with the majority of applications having a high chance of success.
