Romania settles in ECHR case of man fined for unauthorized protest

The Government agreed to settle for EUR 4,500 in a suit filed by a Romanian citizen at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The man filed the suit after being fined for taking part in an unauthorized protest close to the Parliament Palace building in 2013, ziare.com reported. He complained of “interference with his freedom of expression.” At first, the Bucharest’s District 5 Court decided to annul the fine but in 2015 the Bucharest Court upheld it, on grounds that the protest should have been authorized beforehand because it took place in a public space. Now, the parties agreed to a friendly settlement. The man agreed to waive any further claims against Romania, and the Government to pay him EUR 4,500 to cover any pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage as well as costs and expenses, according to an ECHR decision. The sum needs to be paid within three months. If it is not paid within this period, the Government will pay simple interest on it, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. Romania’s High Court rules that all public gatherings must be announced beforehand editor@romania-insider.com