Based on reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Moldovan Service

CHISINAU -- Moldova's constitutional court has banned the use of chemical castration to punish convicted pedophiles.The court ruled that the procedure amounted to medical intervention against a person's will and therefore was a violation of basic human rights.Deputies from Moldova's Liberal Party pushed the law through parliament last year.It provided for chemical castration for Moldovans and foreigners convicted of sexual abuse of children under 15.The proponents argued that Moldova had become a destination for international sex tourists.Chemical castration does not involve surgery but consists of a man being injected with drugs aimed at blunting his sex drive for a period of time.Since the law was passed, five people have been sentenced to chemical castration but the procedures were postponed in each of those cases pending a ruling on the constitutionality of the law.