After the Women’s March movement on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Washington D.C. and across the world, thousands of Romanians followed their example, went out on the night of Jan. 22 and protested against their government’s plans of pardoning prisoners, a thing that could drag us down and reverse our anti-corruption fight.
“Departure” and “We want democracy, with thieves in prison”, they shouted as they walked down the University Square in Bucharest.
ROMANIA | 1000s in #Bucharest protesting against a draft by the gov’t meant to pardon many sentenced for graft. pic.twitter.com/9mHhHuowJ7
— Vocal Europe (@thevocaleurope) January 22, 2017
President Klaus Iohannis also joined the protest. He supports the anti-corruption drive, is open-minded and an adept of tolerance, probably the best president Romania ever had.
The reason of the protest was because the government wants to decriminalize the abuse of power, actions that caused financial damage of thousands of pounds. People like Liviu Dragnea, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, who was given a two-year sentence in prison for rigging votes – will be left in liberty, and media mogul Dan Voiculescu, who was sentenced for money laundering – will be freed. The government also wants to pardon prisoners – because the prisons are “overpopulated” – who were sentenced for less than five years for certain crimes, except those of sexual nature, corruption or violence.
The proposal will be debated in parliament and, if adopted, will mainly affect prisoners over 60, pregnant women and people with young children, regardless of their crime.
