Romanian MEP Diana Șoșoacă rejects prosecutors’ push to lift EU immunity, calls case politically motivated

Romania’s far-right MEP Diana Iovanovici-Șoșoacă rejected the prosecutors’ request for the European Parliament to lift her immunity, calling the move politically driven and aimed at silencing her. The request relates to cases of unlawful deprivation of liberty, Holocaust denial, public promotion of the cult of persons convicted for genocide and war crimes, as well as fascist, legionary, racist, or xenophobic doctrines.

Șoșoacă, leader of the far-right party SOS Romania, said in a statement quoted by news agency Agerpres that the General Prosecutor’s Office is seeking to punish her for speaking out against what she described as a “corrupt system” and “globalist dictatorship.”

“The General Prosecutor’s Office is asking for my parliamentary immunity to be lifted. Why? Out of fear. Because I spoke the truth, because I defended the Romanian people, and because I denounced the globalist dictatorship. I know the truth is uncomfortable. I am not guilty of any of the false accusations thrown into the public space,” she said.

The General Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday, September 23, that it had asked the European Parliament to strip Diana Șoșoacă of her immunity in order to prosecute her on multiple charges. These include four counts of illegal deprivation of liberty, promotion of fascist and legionary ideologies, Holocaust denial, antisemitism, and insulting state officials.

Prosecutors said Șoșoacă was summoned to appear for questioning on Tuesday but failed to attend.

In turn, Diana Șoșoacă insisted that the accusations were unfounded and politically motivated, framing them as an attack on the voters who had elected her to Brussels.

“Parliamentary immunity is not a privilege. Removing it means silencing the will of hundreds of thousands of Romanians,” she said, adding that the proceedings echoed “the show trials of the 1950s.”

The European Parliament must vote on the request before Romanian prosecutors can proceed with formal charges.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Sabin Cirstoveanu)