Disciplinary action against Romanian prosecutors investigating incidents at last summer’s protest

The Judicial Inspection, the Romanian institution that investigates the disciplinary misconduct of magistrates, asked the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) to take disciplinary actions against three military prosecutors investigatingthe violent incidents at the August 10 protest in Bucharest. The Judicial Inspection says the prosecutors failed to respect internal orders of the Public Ministry. More precisely, two of the prosecutors are accused of having delegated other magistrates to this case, failing to respect two orders of the General Prosecutor of Romania, local Digi24 reported. The third prosecutor targeted by the disciplinary action was present in Victoriei Square on August 10, when the anti-government protest took place. He then decided to open an investigation that led to the prosecution of Romanian Gendarmerie heads. The Judicial Inspection says that, by going to the Victoriei Square without his superiors’ permission, the prosecutor is now both a witness and an investigator. One of last year’s biggest anti-government protests was organized on August 10 in Bucharest. Many Romanians living abroad also returned to the country to participate in this street demonstration. But the protest ended violently after the gendarmes used tear gas and water cannons to clear the square. Hundreds of protesters were injured and many more filed complaints against the Gendarmerie. Thus, the prosecutors began an investigation. However, Liviu Dragnea, the head of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and interior minister Carman Dan claimed that the gendarmes’ intervention was legal, and the Gendarmerie even notified the prosecutors that the August 10 protests were actually an attempted coup. Earlier this month, local NGO Declic announced that the United Nations also started an investigation into the way the Romanian Gendarmerie intervened at this protest. Romanians living abroad to return to the country for another big protest this summer Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com (photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)