Romanian AUR lawmaker indicted over anti-immigrant message

Romanian prosecutors have indicted Dan Tanasă, a lawmaker from the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), over a Facebook post urging consumers to boycott deliveries made by immigrant workers. The case was sent to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, according to local news agency Agerpres.

In the August 19, 2025 post, Tanasă called on Romanians to reject orders unless they were delivered by Romanian workers. He also opposed bringing workers from Asia and Africa to Romania and linked immigration to what he described as an “Islamist wave” affecting Western Europe.

The prosecutors said the message publicly incited hatred and discrimination against workers from Asia and Africa based on race, nationality, ethnicity, and religion.

“Acts of discrimination can seriously disrupt relations between citizens, as they affect social relations, which must be based on mutual respect,” the General Prosecutor’s Office said.

The prosecution also addressed Dan Tanasă’s parliamentary immunity. It said lawmakers are protected for votes and political opinions expressed while exercising their mandates but may be investigated and prosecuted for acts unrelated to those activities.

In a reaction on social media, former police officer Marian Godină said that he had filed the criminal complaint that led to the case.

“I am the person who filed the criminal complaint against [Dan Tanasă],” Godină wrote.

He also claimed that he had faced continued harassment from the lawmaker’s associates since filing the complaint and said he planned to take further action.