A protest march "Together for Justice" took place last night in Bucharest. Despite temperatures close to zero, thousands of people joined the demonstration, which started at 5 p.m. local (and Bulgarian time) from the university area in the center of the Romanian capital, and later moved to "Victoria" Square in front of the government building.
The police presence was increased, and the media interest was huge, BTA saw on site. People of all ages participated in the march. There were also children who were caught by photographers and cameramen while playing under two huge flags - of Romania and the European Union.
Some of the protesters lit candles, others - flashlights on their mobile phones, others held posters with messages such as “Justice in captivity, we want it free“, “When Savonia saves corruption, we save the judiciary“, “Savonia does not represent the judiciary in Romania, she suffocates it“, “I am Raluca“, “Stop walking the files, they are not dogs“.
A life-size cardboard figure of Lia Savonia - president of the Supreme Court of Cassation - could be seen in the crowd, as well as a wooden cross with the inscription “Justice of Romania“, and below it another inscription “Crooks, give your money back“.
“Out, out, with the mafia in country“, “Lia, Lia, prison awaits you“, “Justice, not corruption“, the crowd chanted. Similar protests were also held in Timisoara, Cluj, Iasi, Oradea, Brasov, Constanța and Milan.
This is the fifth consecutive night that people in Bucharest have taken to the streets to support the independence of the judiciary. The discontented are demanding the resignations of the President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Lia Savonea, the leadership of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), the Minister of Interior, Catalin Predou, and the Minister of Justice, Radu Marinescu. They are also demanding legislative amendments to remove loopholes that allow trials to be postponed until the statute of limitations has expired.
“It is time to say that the situation has become intolerable and that "It is time for politicians who claim to want the rule of law, but also honest people in the judiciary, to put things right. What is happening affects us all, just as corruption affects our lives every day," the organizers said. They are adamant that they will continue to protest until their demands receive a clear response from the authorities.
The wave of discontent rose on Wednesday (December 10), after an investigation by the news website “Recorder“, in which several former and current magistrates spoke of pressure on the judiciary that had led to the postponement of major corruption cases. The level of tension escalated a day later, after a press conference at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, at which Judge Raluca Moroseanu of the Criminal Division stood in front of television cameras and said that everything her colleague Laurentiu Bessu claimed to “Recorder“ about irregularities in the judiciary system, it's true.
“My colleagues are still afraid and I think I have to do something. Since I have already started the first step, I think it would be better to continue“, said today, in an interview with “Recorder“ Raluca Moroseanu herself. She claims that the legislative changes that occurred in 2022 have led to a situation in which almost all the power is in the hands of the president of the court. The Romanian also believes that the replacement of judges is done to influence the cases.
“Some time ago, we had a seminar on tax evasion. Then the president of the Court of Appeal in Bucharest came personally to tell us that other alternatives to criminal proceedings in tax evasion cases should be found“, Raluca Moroseanu also revealed to „Recorder“.
Meanwhile, over 150,000 people have signed the online petition initiated by the „Decl“ community to change the justice laws.