Corruption is a complex and widespread problem in many countries of the European Union. Despite efforts to combat it through legislative measures and reforms, the problem appears to be particularly deep in Romania, according to Transparency International. In the latest ranking compiled by an international organization, the country ranks 63rd out of 180 with a relatively low score, according to the largest Cypriot daily O Phileleftheros.

And the State Department’s report on human rights violations is a harsh criticism for Bucharest. The report raises the issue of serious human rights violations and contains references to cases of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by the Romanian government, mentions of serious and widespread corruption among officials, and references to the lack of investigations and trials persecution for gender characteristics. violence, including domestic violence, and sexual violence or abuse of persons with disabilities in institutions.

The authorities postponed proceedings related to alleged abuses and corruption by the police

In addition, according to the report, Bucharest has taken steps to identify, investigate, prosecute and punish officials who have committed abuses, but authorities lack effective mechanisms to do so and delay proceedings related to alleged police abuses and corruption. which resulted in many acquittals. Impunity for those who violate human rights is a constant problem.

The issue of corruption in Romania has returned to the spotlight following the arrest last month of Israeli businessman Benny Steinmetz following a European warrant issued against him by Bucharest authorities.

Speaking on the matter to Phileleftheros, lawyer and Socialist MP Kostis Efstatiou said that European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) are arrest warrants issued by European states that must be executed abroad, i.e. in other countries, in order for the relevant the person appeared before the courts. indicate where the warrant was issued.

“The rule is that warrants of arrest arise from the Act and are authorized through the courts. We are allowed to intervene with other approaches, criteria or goals in the process of their release and implementation. “Therefore, if it is found that the MEA was issued for purposes other than law enforcement or that its execution would prejudice the law or violate the human rights of the person requested, the MEA should not be executed,” he said. He explained.

There are many question marks about the ease with which Romania issues European arrest warrants

There are many question marks over the ease with which Romania issues European arrest warrants, and the sheer number of them. It is relevant if we remember that between 2005 and 2021, Romania issued 18,320 European mandates, not taking into account the four-year mandates for which no data was published, nor the mandates from 2021.

This is a very large number, and to make it more clear what this figure means, it should be remembered that during the same period, Cyprus issued a total of 584 European arrest warrants. The comparison is instructive given the breakneck pace, as well as the ease with which arrest warrants are issued in this former socialist republic.

There are European Arrest Warrants that are not related to any crime but may be politically motivated

As Kostis Efstatiu pointed out, unfortunately in practice it has also been observed that there are European arrest warrants that have been issued for reasons other than those presented, which have nothing to do with any crime, but perhaps for political reasons, something that , of course, has no place in a democratic society and the rule of law.

“Similarly, in the case of Romania, the European mandates were issued for a purpose that is not justified in a rule of law. For example, warrants have been issued against journalists, activists or individuals who did not commit the crime for which the MEA was issued. But the problem is not limited only to the case of Romania.” Therefore, there are well-founded suspicions and indications that politically motivated criminal prosecutions are behind the European arrest warrants issued by Bucharest.

“Structural problems regarding the functioning of democracy and the rule of law continue to exist in Romania. I am the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on issues of compliance by states with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). In this position, I closely cooperated with Romania, where I made a working visit last November. This country has an anti-democratic and totalitarian past to deal with, which fuels corruption and an anti-democratic way of seeing things. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that where there is unchecked and accumulated power (as was the case in Romania in the past), there are symptoms of corruption or even abuse. The judicial system also has loopholes and flaws. Therefore, it is inevitable that in Romania there are also signs of criminal prosecution, initiated politically under European arrest warrants,” Kostis Efstatiu emphasized.

Brussels is aware of this situation and often sounds the alarm

Brussels is aware of this situation and often sounds the alarm. In recent years, we have seen in many cases that European arrest warrants issued by Romania have been rejected by the courts of the Member States where they were heard. These decisions by the European courts to reject the “factory” of arrest warrants, which has been operating for a long time in Romania, show how far this country still has to go.

When asked about this, Kostis Efstatiu says that Bucharest is trying to free itself from its anti-democratic and corrupt past, which is not easy, and additional steps of progress are needed for this.

“However, much remains to be done, even in the judicial system. This is also evident from my reports on the implementation of ECtHR decisions. There are cases where European investigation warrants are issued for political reasons or against the law, in the context of furthering other aims and objectives. But to be honest: the problem is not only in Romania. Take, for example, Germany. Under pressure from Turkey, the major country has issued at least 200 European arrest warrants for Kurds with almost identical wording and the same or similar charges to satisfy Tayyip Erdogan. I remember the case of Kenan Ayaz, which we had in Cyprus and sent to German prisons. This case was also part of this policy of mass issuing of European Arrest Warrants. Many states do not comply with such mandates because they consider them offensive and politically motivated.”

The article was created with the support of Rador Radio Romania.

Translator’s note: We remind you that also in Greece during the period when Benny Steinmetz was waiting for a decision on the extradition request, articles appeared periodically in the Greek press about the unfair trial he was subjected to in Romania and about the problems of Romanian justice.