Romania's president joins choir of politicians demanding explanations after court decision in high-profile case

Romania's president Klaus Iohannis expressed his disappointment after the Bucharest Court rejected the DIICOT prosecutors' request to reopen the criminal case investigating the violent crackdown by the Gendarmerie of an anti-Government protest that took place on August 10, 2018, in Bucharest. The decision is final.

In a Facebook post, Iohannis urged the reformist minister of justice, Stelian Ion (USR-PLUS), to explain how this case was closed. "Romanians have every right to know who is to blame for the acts of violence against peaceful protesters. Things cannot end here. That is why I asked the justice minister and the interior minister to find the solutions so that the truth about August 10 is revealed, and those responsible answer before the law," Iohannis wrote on Facebook.

Other politicians, mainly from the center-right ruling coalition, had similar reactions after the court's decision.

On March 4, minister Stelian Ion asked the magistrates' body CSM to investigate the situation and "defend the independence of the judiciary system" - a formula used to stick with the regulations related to the separation of the powers. The magistrates initially rejected the request as "vague and unclear." Eventually, CSM head Bogdan Mateescu announced that the body notified Judiciary Inspection to investigate how the prosecutors investigated the events on August 10, according to G4Media.ro.

The "Diaspora protest" that took place in Bucharest’s Victoriei Square on August 10, 2018, ended in violent clashes between the riot police and several groups of aggressive protesters. Many peaceful protesters ended up being hurt by the gendarmes, which intervened with unprecedented violence against the people to clear the square. The August 10 protest was part of a series of massive protests in Bucharest against the former Social Democrat Government's plans to change the justice laws in Romania.

The criminal investigation into the August 10 incidents targeted the heads of the Romanian Gendarmerie who ordered the forceful intervention against the protesters in Victoriei Square.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)