Known as the “May 2 law” after the locality where Vlada Pascu’s accident took place, the law unveiled by Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday would see people convicted of high-risk drug trafficking sent to prison without the possibility of parole punishment. sentence.

The legislative initiative was submitted by the PNL after an August accident in the city on May 2, in which Vlad Pascu, a young man who was driving under the influence of drugs, killed two young people.

On November 20, 2023, the Senate adopted the project as the first delegated body, and the final vote of the Chamber of Deputies took place on March 5. On Wednesday, March 20, the law was promulgated by Klaus Iohannis, the press release of the Presidential Administration informed.

Under the law, people convicted of high-risk drug trafficking can no longer receive probation.

“You can’t sell heroin or cocaine, destroy lives, and then walk the streets freely. Traffickers belong in prison. We are not allowed to witness another tragedy similar to May 2. Let’s be clear – we need victim-friendly laws because we need to protect our youth from drug trafficking,” Justice Minister Alina Gorgiou said after the law was passed by parliament.

“The action of a person who, without a permit issued in accordance with this law, carries out operations with products, not knowing that they can have a psychoactive effect, is a crime and is punishable by imprisonment from 3 to 10 years. and the prohibition of the exercise of certain rights, if the act does not contain the elements of a more serious crime,” the “Law of May 2” provides.

According to Justice Minister Alina Gorgiu, during 2022, 810 defendants were finally convicted of crimes related to drug trafficking (domestic or international). Of them, 402 were sentenced to imprisonment, for 379 people (47% of drug dealers) the courts issued a sentence with a suspended sentence.

The initiators of the project say that this is a “response” to the growing number of criminal cases on crimes related to illegal drug trafficking.