About 8,000 people took part in a protest against corruption in the Romanian judiciary on Saturday in the square in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest, the HotNews portal reported.
The protesters demanded the elimination of "mafia networks" in the judiciary and the resignation of the president of the High Court of Cassation and the Minister of Interior.
The protests in Bucharest are in their fourth day and have spread to many other cities in Romania. The protests were sparked by the documentary "Justice in Captivity", produced by Romanian journalists specializing in corruption investigations. In it, judges and prosecutors claim that the entire judiciary The country's judicial system is controlled by key figures, major corruption cases in Romania are being covered up, and existing criminal cases are being unreasonably dismissed due to statute of limitations. The film premiered on YouTube on Tuesday and on national television on Wednesday.
The heads of the highest courts have rejected the accusations, claiming that the facts presented in the film are untrue. However, many judges and prosecutors have confirmed that abuses in the judicial system occur regularly. Many leading journalists have taken a cautious stance, believing that what is happening is a clash between two groups of judges and prosecutors, as well as the politicians behind them.
The High Council of Magistracy (the body that oversees the professional activities of judges and prosecutors) announced that the Judicial Inspectorate has been tasked with conducting an investigation into the facts presented in the film, and President Nikusor Dan invited judges and prosecutors to a meeting on December 22 to discuss problems in the national justice system.