Romanian government to pass emergency bill on amnesty by Jan. 15

The senior ruling party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has reportedly completed drafting the emergency bill for amnesty and pardoning and will endorse it by January 15, unofficial sources told HotNews.ro. According to the sources, the pardoning will cover prison sentences of up to 10 years. PSD leader Liviu Dragnea on Sunday, December 16 openly and vocally called on the Government for a decision on amnesty and pardoning, claiming that this is needed in order to "repair abuses and injustices". "These prosecutors and these officers [of the intelligence services] have really breached the independence of justice. […] Why amnesty and pardoning are blasphemy? I'm not afraid to say these words. If someone finds other legislative measures, another course of action to fully repair the injustices that have been brought to justice will have all my and party’s support,” Dragnea said in front of party’s leadership met on Sunday. PSD leaders have repeatedly invoked such abuses that they claim were done by the National Anticorruption Directorate on the grounds of the protocols signed with the intelligence services. PSD has advocated for re-opening the cases where evidences were collected based on such protocols. More rumours in Romania about imminent amnesty and pardoning ordinance Romanian PM rejects rumours about imminent amnesty and pardoning bill editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)