Former Bucharest District 5 mayor released from prison by court decision

Update: Bucharest Prefecture announced that, following the High Court’s decision, former District 5 mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone has the right to resume his mandate, without any legal restrictions, News.ro reported.

Initial story: Cristian Popescu Piedone, a former mayor of Bucharest’s District 5, is set to be released from prison on Wednesday, June 21, following a decision of the High Court. The judges scraped the four-year sentence he was serving for abuse of office and ordered his release, Euronews.ro reported.

Cristian Popescu Piedone spent around 13 months in prison. In mid-may 2022, the Bucharest Court of Appeal sentenced him to four years in jail for his indirect responsibility in the Colectiv tragedy on October 30, 2015, when 64 people died after a fire at a rock concert. The Colectiv club, where the fire took place, was functioning without all the legal permits and didn’t respect fire safety regulations.

Piedone was mayor of Bucharest’s District 4 from 2008 until November 2015, when he resigned due to public pressure following the Colectiv fire. He was the first public official to step down after the tragedy but was soon followed by the former Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta, who resigned after massive anti-corruption protests in Bucharest and across the country.

However, Piedone returned to politics as early as April 2016, when he registered as a candidate in the elections for mayor of District 4. His candidacy was barred by the Bucharest Court following protests by the Colectiv victims’ families. In 2020, he switched to District 5, where he was elected mayor despite his ongoing trial.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)