Several hundred people protested last night in front of the building of the Supreme Council of Magistrates in Bucharest, and dozens protested in the city of Cluj-Napoca after a journalistic investigation by the website "Recorder", revealing alleged cases of pressure on the judiciary, reports the news website Ziare, quoted by BTA.
In Bucharest, the demonstrators carried posters with the inscriptions "Corruption is suffocating the magistrates", "How much longer will we struggle to be a European country", "Change comes with commitment" and others. They also chanted "Justice, not mafia", "We want justice, not immunity", "Transparency, not complicity" and "There is no statute of limitations for corruption".
The protesters also called for the resignation of the President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Lia Savonia, and the Minister of Justice, Radu Marinescu.
The call for the "Protest for an independent judiciary" was announced last night on Facebook after "Recorder" published the documentary "Justice in Captivity", revealing alleged irregularities in the judicial system, the publication notes.
In the journalistic investigation, several former and current magistrates speak of pressure on the judicial system that led to the postponement of major corruption cases, their statute of limitations, or the transfer of judges from one court to another so that they would not hear certain cases.
It sparked a wave of reactions, including from President Nikusor Dan, Prime Minister Ilie Bologian and Justice Minister Radu Marinescu, who called for an investigation into the alleged irregularities and reform of the system.
In connection with the revelations, the Court of Appeal in Bucharest announced an "extraordinary press conference" for today, after the documentary showed how the statute of limitations had expired after the replacement of four or five judges in significant cases, the website states Hotnews.
The announcement of the press conference came last night after the film by "Recorder" was broadcast on state television TeveRe 1 and had 1.2 million views on YouTube in the 24 hours after its release, the publication notes.
In the film, a number of prosecutors and judges, some of whom have their identities hidden, describe what is happening behind the scenes of the judicial system. Among those interviewed were former chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Crin Bologa, military prosecutor Liviu Lascu, judge of the Bucharest Court Laurentiu Besu and others, the website notes.