Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted a simple motion asking for the resignation of justice minister Raluca Pruna, on Tuesday, October 18.

The motion was submitted by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) last week. The social-democrats accused Pruna of lying in a statement before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) about the money allotted for building new prisons in Romania.

In June 2016, Raluca Pruna went to the European Court of Human Rights, where she spoke about Romania’s measures to improve conditions in local penitentiaries. She also presented an official document that said the Romania allotted almost EUR 1 billion for seven new penitentiaries.

On October 6, Pruna said in front of the Romanian Superior Magistracy Council (CSM) that she lied to ECHR because the document she had presented, which had been “signed by someone in the Romanian state”, only stated intentions, because the money hadn’t been allotted.

The justice minister spoke in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, before the motion was voted. She took responsibility for what she said and that she only wanted to bring to light a problem that had been hidden for many years, which was related to the lack of funding for investments in new penitentiaries.

The liberals didn’t vote on the motion which was approved with 155 votes.

After the result of the vote was announced, minister Pruna said she would accept whatever decision Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos takes. The motion’s approval doesn’t automatically mean that the minister is dismissed. The Prime Minister can decide if he keeps the minister or not.

Justice minister Raluca Pruna has been under pressure in recent months as she faced protests from both the inmates and the employees working in the local prison system. Inmates have been complaining about the detention conditions, especially overcrowding in local penitentiaries, a matter for which Romania has been sanctioned by the ECHR on several occasions in recent years. Meanwhile, prison workers also complained about the working conditions and about the lack of personnel.

Thousands of prisoners in Romania could get out of jail earlier due to overcrowding

UN experts: Prison overcrowding still a problem in Romania

Over EUR 800 million to improve conditions in Romanian prisons

editor@romania-insider.com