Almost 180 magistrates in Romania joined an action group denouncing the compromised judicial system in the country, allegedly controlled by High Court president Lia Savonea, after judge Raluca Morosanu publicly confirmed the allegations expressed by Laurentiu Besu in the "Captured Judiciary" documentary released by investigative platform Recorder that prompted the second night of protests in Bucharest and major cities across the country. 

Over 1,000 rallied in Bucharest and hundreds of others in Cluj-Napoca and Iasi on December 11, requesting the resignation of High Court president Lia Savonea, the president of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Liviu Voineag, and interior minister Catalin Predoiu (formerly justice minister) after the two-hour documentary that was released by Recorder and aired by the public TV station. 

The video investigation gathered over 3.2 million views on YouTube in two days.

The protests in Romania share the same roots as those in Bulgaria, where street rallies led to the demise of the government. In Bucharest, the protests are against the leadership of the judiciary, and protesters do not target the executive, even if a large category of politicians are believed to be responsible for and beneficiaries of the alleged corrupt judiciary system.

On Thursday, judge Raluca Morosanu spoke at the beginning of a press conference organised by the Bucharest Court of Appeal (CAB) with the initial purpose of rejecting the allegations and accusing judge Laurentiu Besu, who appears in the Recorder documentary, and all other magistrates who would have supported him.

After Morosanu's clear message in defence of her colleague and all other magistrates seeking to restore a functioning judiciary, the explanations of CAB's president were received with even more scepticism by the media and civic society representatives. Even more so after one of the judges delivering the message to journalists was heard whispering to the CAB president, during the press conference, "I have to speak, Lia called me."

"I came here to support my colleague, Laurentiu Besu, and to say that everything he said there is true. If he is contradicted, it is a lie. Here, at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, we work very hard. The leadership does not help us in any way. We are simply terrorised with disciplinary actions and with everything you know is happening to us. I do not even want to tell you what the atmosphere is like and in what toxic and tense conditions we are working," Morosanu said.

Meanwhile, judge Daniela Panioglu also confirmed to Euronews Romania the accusations featured in the Recorder documentary and also backed by her colleague Morosanu. "I don't know if anything works better in Romania than corruption in the judiciary," she said.

The judge claimed that the main culprit is the former head of the Supreme Council of Magistracy, Lia Savonea, who allegedly controls almost everything that happens.

In a reaction to Euronews Romania, Lia Savonea refuted the evidence presented in the Recorder documentary titled "Captured Judiciary": "The testimonies invoked are not supported by verifiable facts and contain statements that do not correspond to reality. They artificially construct the perception of a "captured" justice, although, objectively, they rather indicate attempts to reposition the influence on justice from other areas than those selectively stated in the public discourse."

In a joint public message, almost 180 magistrates expressed their solidarity with judges Raluca Morosanu and Laurentiu Besu.

"In view of the anticipated repercussions concerning our colleagues Laurentiu Besu and Raluca Morosanu, as well as the contradictory messages published by the CSM Section for Judges and the Section for Prosecutors, we make the following clarifications," reads the message. "We publicly express our solidarity with the magistrates who had the courage to report the problems and pressures within the justice system. Truth and integrity must not be punished, but protected. Silence is not an option when the values of the profession are at risk."

Plus, they also confirmed that the issues raised by their two colleagues are not isolated, saying, "Deep and systemic dysfunctions persist, and acknowledging them is essential. The justice system needs not only courage, but also genuine and honest reform in order to remain free, fair, and credible - in the service of the citizen."

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)