---
title: "Chisinau magistrate claims workload retaliation following return from maternity leave"
url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/66297/chisinau-magistrate-claims-workload-retaliation-following-return-from-maternity-leave
published: 2025-12-22T15:06:37Z
language: en
author: "Redacția  TRM"
section: "Justice"
source: radiomoldova.md
---

# Chisinau magistrate claims workload retaliation following return from maternity leave

> Marina Rusu, a judge at the Chisinau Court (Centru headquarters) and mother of seven children, staged a formal protest at the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) on December 22.

[Video: https://trm.blob.core.windows.net/photos/af42a097-61e2-4856-b896-d6c890cd90d6.jpg](https://original.trm.md/video/definst/MP4:2025/12/22/protets.mp4/playlist.m3u8)

Marina Rusu, a judge at the Chisinau Court (Centru headquarters) and mother of seven children, staged a formal protest at the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) on December 22.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/0b8eb7f8-511d-4834-aa03-181edda16263.jpg)

The magistrate, who is currently nursing a child under two years old, alleges frequent abuses and systemic violations of her labor rights.

**Allegations of excessive workload**

Upon returning to the bench on a part-time basis with legal breastfeeding breaks, Rusu claims her employer failed to honor these conditions. Instead, she reports being assigned a workload identical to that of full-time staff.

"I am not a person who usually joins protests," Judge Marina Rusu stated. "I am a judge, and I believe that legal avenues for defending one's rights are fundamental."

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/fc55b175-8712-4501-8e09-d68ede8961a5.jpg)

**Systemic retaliation concerns**

The magistrate suggested that her treatment might be a form of institutional punishment. She highlighted the difficulty of balancing her professional duties with her family life under current pressures.

"Regrettably, I have found that when you become inconvenient for a system, it has many ways to punish you," Rusu noted. "I currently have two infants to care for, yet I have been forced to process a 100% caseload."

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/9002f894-138e-4060-8f35-7a0b5a5b6e24.jpg)