Radio România Internațional

Tag: fugitives

  • September 17, 2024

    September 17, 2024

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION The EC president Ursula von der Leyen today unveiled the new college of commissioners. Romania’s nominee for one of the 27 European Commissioner posts, the former minister for EU funding and incumbent MEP Roxana Mînzatu, was appointed Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness and will also be the new Commissioner for Skills, Education, Quality Jobs and Social Rights. The team proposed by Ursula von der Leyen will next be interviewed by the European Parliament. Given the length of the procedures, the new commission might begin their term in office later than scheduled, possibly as late as December.

     

     

    FLOODS The government of Romania approved direct financial aid for the victims of the recent floods in the east of the country, which left 7 people dead and nearly 6,500 homes damaged. Hydrologists warn that the risk of flash floods is not over, and have issued code red, orange and yellow alerts for the counties already affected by heavy rainfalls and floods. People are still accommodated in the temporary sites arranged by the local authorities, and interior ministry personnel are helped by emergency inspectorate staff from other counties, who have brought over intervention vehicles and large capacity pumps to take out the water and mud from the flooded houses. Meanwhile, water and food supplies are being distributed to the victims, both from the state reserve and from private citizens and companies that have donated clothes, footwear, blankets and mattresses. The Red Cross also dispatched trucks with water and food to the area.

     

     

    LAW The Constitutional Court of Romania is to review today, after several postponements, a notification lodged by the High Court of Cassation and Justice with respect to the so-called Fugitives Act. The law endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies in November 2023 stipulates that citizens subject to a final court sentence who fail to turn themselves in within 7 days to be incarcerated are to be declared fugitives and receive a further 6 month to 3 year sentence. The supreme court believes the law comes against the right to fair trial and individual freedom. Sorin Oprescu, a former mayor of Bucharest, and Alina Bica, a former chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, are some of the high-profile officials who managed to leave the country in order to escape a prison sentence. Italy and Greece are the countries preferred by the fugitives.

     

     

    CLIMATE Romania plans to be carbon neutral by 2045, as opposed to its previous target, 2050, according to a new version of the National Integrated Plan on Energy and Climate Change. Bucharest also intends to cover 38% of the country’s total energy demand from renewable sources by 2030. The energy ministry announced on Tuesday additional policies and measures to increase the share of renewable energy, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially and to implement innovating solutions in all economic sectors. The revised plan includes measures to cut emissions in essential sectors such as energy, transport, housing and industry, and aims to implement advanced technologies such as the use of renewable hydrogen.

     

     

    ENESCU The 19th edition of the “George Enescu” International Classical Music Competition takes place in Bucharest until September 27, under the high patronage of the Romanian Presidency. Enrolled in this year’s competition are a record 667 musicians aged 13 to 35. The “George Enescu” International Competition, initiated in 1958, is one of the most important events of this kind in the world, providing a platform for rising musicians to prove their skills. Over the years, the competition has consolidated Romania’s standing in the global cultural arena, and is the only competition in the country affiliated to the World Federation of International Music Competitions. The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation is one of the co-producers of the event.

     

     

    FESTIVAL The 12th edition of Bucharest Music Film Festival continues until September 22nd. The event has been redesigned to include concerts in a variety of music genres, from classical to jazz, film music and pop fusion, and it brings together hundreds of celebrated artists and orchestras. The festival is organised by the Bucharest City Hall’s cultural centre ARCUB, and is part of the Days of Bucharest series that marks 565 years since Bucharest was first mentioned in official documents. (AMP)

  • August 10, 2024 UPDATE

    August 10, 2024 UPDATE

    Fugitives – The Romanian Justice Ministry announces that it has brought back to the country other Romanian citizens who had fled abroad to avoid serving prison sentences, namely human traffickers and pimps. Among them there is a woman convicted of pimping at 6 years and 9 months, brought from the Netherlands. Another fugitive, brought from Italy, has to serve a sentence of 6 years and 1 month for human trafficking. We remind you that, this year, the so-called Fugitives Law entered into force, by which persons convicted and repatriated to serve their criminal sentence are obliged to pay the costs of being brought back to Romania. Only in 2023, the costs for bringing back to Romania over 800 Romanian citizens in this situation exceeded 10 million lei (around 2 million Euros).

     

    Untold – The biggest music festival in Romania, Untold, continues in Cluj-Napoca (north-west). Until Sunday, more than 250 top national and international artists perform for tens of thousands of fans from all over the world. Besides the concerts, the organizers have also prepared numerous thematic parties, and as a novelty, on the main stage, the performance of musical pieces is also done in sign language for people with hearing impairments. The authorities pay special attention to preventing the sale and consumption of drugs during the festival.

     

    Enescu – The 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition kicks off on August 31, in Bucharest. This year, there was a historic record of entries to the Enescu Competition – 555 young people from 27 countries applied for the three sections of the competition – violin, cello and piano. Out of these, only 149 were selected to participate in the first stage of the competition. Each section will have two elimination stages, the semi-final and the final. The George Enescu International Competition is an event held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and financed by the Government of Romania through the Ministry of Culture.

     

    Inflation – The National Bank of Romania significantly improved, on Friday, the estimates regarding the evolution of inflation, from 4.9% to 4% per year for the end of 2024. The downward trend should be maintained at the beginning of next year, followed by a temporary increase in the spring of 2025, then a return to the downward trend. The national bank calculates an annual inflation rate of 3.4% for the end of next year, slightly below the previously estimated level. The central bank governor, Mugur Isărescu, stated that the inflation forecast also took into account possible risks or uncertainties, including the conduct of fiscal and revenue policies, as well as the evolution of energy and food prices.

     

    Moscow – The Russian aviation authority banned Russian airlines from flying into Israel’s airspace in the following nights, the dpa news agency reports. The ban entered into force on Saturday and is valid until August 16. Moscow did not provide a reason for the decision, but dpa believes it could be linked to a feared Iranian airstrike on Israel. Russia is a close ally of Tehran and has recently stepped up its deliveries of air defense weapons to the Iranians. Many international airlines have canceled their flights to Israel due to the threat of war in the region. Meanwhile, Israel has agreed to sending negotiators to the new talks on a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza, following an urgent appeal by the mediator countries – the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Hamas has not yet responded to the call, seen as an attempt to stop the escalation of the conflict, after the assassination of the political leader of the Palestinian group, Ismail Haniyeh. (LS)

  • August 10, 2024

    August 10, 2024

    Fugitives – The Romanian Justice Ministry announces that it has brought back to the country other Romanian citizens who had fled abroad to avoid serving prison sentences, namely human traffickers and pimps. Among them there is a woman convicted of pimping at 6 years and 9 months, brought from the Netherlands. Another fugitive, brought from Italy, has to serve a sentence of 6 years and 1 month for human trafficking. We remind you that, this year, the so-called Fugitives Law entered into force, by which persons convicted and repatriated to serve their criminal sentence are obliged to pay the costs of being brought back to Romania. Only in 2023, the costs for bringing back to Romania over 800 Romanian citizens in this situation exceeded 10 million lei (around 2 million Euros).

     

    Untold – The biggest music festival in Romania, Untold, continues in Cluj-Napoca (north-west). Until Sunday, more than 250 top national and international artists perform for tens of thousands of fans from all over the world. Besides the concerts, the organizers have also prepared numerous thematic parties, and as a novelty, on the main stage, the performance of musical pieces is also done in sign language for people with hearing impairments. The authorities pay special attention to preventing the sale and consumption of drugs during the festival.

     

    Olympics – Today, Romanian athletes are competing at the Olympic Games in Paris, in one sport – wrestling. Romania has so far won eight medals at the Olympic Games – three gold, four silver and one bronze. After the races on the 14th official day of competitions, Romania dropped to 20th place in the nations’ ranking. On Friday, to the astonishment of many Romanians, Cătălin Chirilă failed qualification in the final of the 1,000 m canoe singles event, although in the heats he had broken the 20-year-old record of the event. The athlete, a world champion in 2022 and world vice champion in 2023, declared that he was confused by the weather, the wind being quite strong and the waves big.

     

    Inflation – The National Bank of Romania significantly improved, on Friday, the estimates regarding the evolution of inflation, from 4.9% to 4% per year for the end of 2024. The downward trend should be maintained at the beginning of next year, followed by a temporary increase in the spring of 2025, then a return to the downward trend. The national bank calculates an annual inflation rate of 3.4% for the end of next year, slightly below the previously estimated level. The central bank governor, Mugur Isărescu, stated that the inflation forecast also took into account possible risks or uncertainties, including the conduct of fiscal and revenue policies, as well as the evolution of energy and food prices.

     

    Moscow – The Russian aviation authority has banned Russian airlines from flying into Israel’s airspace in the following nights, the dpa news agency reports. The ban entered into force today and is valid until August 16. Moscow did not provide a reason for the decision, but dpa believes it could be linked to a feared Iranian airstrike on Israel. Russia is a close ally of Tehran and has recently stepped up its deliveries of air defense weapons to the Iranians. Many international airlines have canceled their flights to Israel due to the threat of war in the region. Meanwhile, Israel has agreed to sending negotiators to the new talks on a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza, following an urgent appeal by the mediator countries – the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Hamas has not yet responded to the call, seen as an attempt to stop the escalation of the conflict, after the assassination of the political leader of the Palestinian group, Ismail Haniyeh. (LS)

     

  • Parliament passes tougher legislation

    Parliament passes tougher legislation

     

    The bill introducing tougher penalties for driving under the influence has been passed by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, the decision-making body in this respect. The document also bans the postponement of prison sentences for manslaughter in DUI cases.

     

    Once the new legislation takes effect, apart from the sentence drivers caught in traffic under the influence of alcohol or other psychoactive substances will also be banned from driving vehicles for a period of up to 10 years, as opposed to up to 5 years at present, explains the Social Democratic Senator Robert Cazanciuc, who tabled the bill.

     

    The penalty will only apply for motorists caught driving with blood alcohol content of over 0.08, which is the level above which such infringements are treated as criminal offences. Moreover, when DUI traffic accidents kill people, the penalty will range between 15 and 25 years behind bars. Under the same law, drivers caught in possession of banned substances will no longer receive fines, but prison sentences.

     

    The document amends the Anastasia Act, which took effect last year, and which introduces prison sentences without suspension for DUI-manslaughter. The law was named after Anastasia, a 4-year old girl killed in 2022 by a driver without a license. The list of high-risk drugs has also been updated to include 6 new synthetic substances.

     

    Meanwhile, the Chamber of Deputies has also passed a law forcing fugitives that attempt to escape prosecution or prison to cover the judicial costs of their repatriation, more specifically, the expenses incurred by the government for their extradition.

     

    According to the justice minister Alina Gorghiu, the costs for each person brought back to Romania to serve their sentences may reach as much as EUR 25,000, currently covered by the government, and the number of fugitives rises from one year to the next.

     

    The law applies for persons subject to European arrest warrants and to those who have left the European Union and with respect to whom extradition procedures are in place.

     

    The former mayor general of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, the former chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences Alina Bica, the son of the Professional Football League president Mario Iorgulescu and prince Paul Philippe (grandson of the Romanian King Carol II) are just a few examples of high-profile fugitives who left Romania for countries like Italy and Greece after being sentenced in the country.

     

    Romania has been struggling for years to bring some of them back to the country, but without success. (AMP)

  • March 22, 2024 UPDATE

    March 22, 2024 UPDATE

     

    EUROPEAN COUNCIL Brussels hosted a European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday, in which Romania was represented by president Klaus Iohannis, who also attended the Euro Summit on Friday. He stated that Ukraine must remain a priority on the EU agenda, and welcomed the agreement on the support to be provided to this country. Mr. Iohannis reiterated that Romania remains one of Ukraine’s steadfast supporters and will continue to provide assistance particularly in the humanitarian and military areas, and in terms of grain transport. The Romanian official also highlighted the importance of continued European support for the Republic of Moldova, which is facing unprecedented hybrid threats from the Russian Federation during its pre-election period. The European Commission Friday proposed the introduction of tariffs for grain imports from Russia and Belarus, in a move to prevent Moscow and Minsk from distorting the markets. According to the Commission, the tariffs are also designed to contain Russia’s capacity to finance its war in Ukraine and to reduce Russia’s sales of grains stolen from Ukraine. EU leaders unanimously adopted a critical statement concerning Israel, calling for an immediate humanitarian pause and for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza Strip via all routes. The European Council also urged Israel to refrain from carrying out a ground operation in Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are seeking safety.

    MOLDOVA The Parliament of Moldova has adopted a Declaration voicing confidence that the EU accession is the only way to secure its future as a sovereign, neutral, democratic and undivided state. Moldovan MPs call on the entire society to prove unity and solidarity in order to strengthen political and social dialogue in the name of the national interest and of this strategic goal-the EU accession. The document also emphasises that for decades the European Union has been a “reliable partner” for Chisinau, “selflessly” providing the country with logistic and financial support for solving its many domestic problems. In December 2023, the European Council decided the initiation of accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova.

    FUGITIVES Sentenced offenders having left the country will have to cover the costs of their repatriation, under a draft order passed by the government and submitted to parliament for approval. The new provisions also apply for defendants under investigation, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu announced. She explained that the new legislation concerns 2 situations: when a fugitive flees from prosecution or trial, and when an offender having received a final sentence tries to avoid serving the sentence. The justice minister emphasised that last year the Romanian state spent some EUR 2 mln to bring 800 convicted fugitives back to the country. A list of famous Romanian fugitives includes the former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, the former head of Romania’s Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, Alina Bica, the son of the president of the Professional Football League, Mario Iorgulescu, and Paul Philippe of Romania.

    CLIMATE Climate change is an undeniable fact, which requires immediate measures, the Romanian minister of environment, waters and forestry Mircea Fechet said on Friday at a conference in Bucharest occasioned by World Water Day and World Meteorological Day. The Romanian official also mentioned the conflict near Romania’s borders, which also impacts the environment. “We are not living the easiest of times,” he said, and added that we should take this opportunity to think about what is happening near Romania and about what we have to do. The participants emphasised the importance of efficiently conveying the information provided by weather experts, by hydrologists and climatologists, and the need to manage water resources in a responsible and efficient manner. They also voiced concern with the already visible consequences of climate change.

    ELECTIONS The Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party in the ruling coalition in Romania have validated their candidates on the joint list for the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 9. Originally at the top of a list of 20 eligible positions, the independent candidate Ramona Chiriac, head of the European Commission Representation in Bucharest, has withdrawn her candidacy for personal reasons. Both parties are keeping most of the current MEPs, but new names also appear on the list. From the Social Democrats, the joint list includes, among others, the former Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, the former minister of family and equal opportunities Gabriela Firea, the incumbent state secretary with the Department for Romanians Everywhere Gheorghe Cârciu, and MEPs Dan Nica and Victor Negrescu. Among the Liberal candidates for the European Parliament are Adina Vălean, the current EU transport commissioner, Virgil Popescu, the former minister of energy, and the MEPs Rareş Bogdan, Siegfried Mureşan, Dan Motreanu, Gheorghe Falcă, and Daniel Buda. The list will be finalised next week. (AMP)

  • March 20, 2024 UPDATE

    March 20, 2024 UPDATE

     

    ELECTIONS The ruling coalition’s joint candidate for the Bucharest Mayor General post, the surgeon and manager of the city’s University Hospital Cătălin Cîrstoiu, was officially introduced on Wednesday in a press conference by the leaders of the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party. Cătălin Cîrstoiu will not join any of these parties, but will run in the June 9 election as a nono-affiliated candidate. In the next few days, the Social Democrats and the Liberals will also announce their joint candidates for the 6 districts of the capital city. This year Romania organises local and European Parliament elections in June, presidential elections in September and general elections in December. The Constitutional Court Wednesday dismissed a notification submitted by the opposition and gave the green light for a bill bringing forward the presidential election to September. In their notification, the Save Romania Union and the Force of the Right argued that the bill came against democratic principles and that changing election rules just months before the vote date was unconstitutional.

     

    NATO Mihail Kogălniceanu, in the south-east of Romania, will host the largest NATO operational base in Europe. Upgrade works on the air base in Romania started in 2010, in the context of the war in Afghanistan, but the military complex has now reached a new expansion stage. Substantial funding is earmarked for the building of a military compound which would include a hospital and a school. The Romanian government’s investment is put at EUR 2.5 bln. The Mihail Kogălniceanu air base may eventually take over the logistics and human resources of the US base in Ramstein, Germany.

     

    FRANCOPHONIE Cultural institutions in Bucharest organised special events on International Francophonie Day, celebrated every year on March 20. The National Museum of Romanian Literature organised a presentation of Romanian writers with strong connections with the French culture, by translating or writing their works in French. On Thursday, students with L’Ecole Française Internationale de Bucarest take part in a guided tour presented by Stéphan Artaud, a curator currently on an internship at the National Museum of Romanian Literature. The “Dinu Lipatti” Arts Centre organises the 8th “I Love Lipatti” Festival, until March 23, with a special guest from France, the pianist Dimitri Malignan, giving a special recital on this occasion. Bucharest’s “Nottara” theatre holds a special edition of the “Dialogues without masks” programme, with Vasile Șirli as a guest. Vasile Șirli is a Romanian composer who headed the Paris Disneyland’s music department for 30 years.

     

    FUGITIVES Romania’s Constitutional Court postponed to April 10 a hearing on the notification lodged by the country’s supreme court with respect to the Fugitives Act, under which offenders who fail to appear for incarceration within 7 days of receiving final prison sentences will be considered fugitives and will be sentenced to an additional six months to three years. According to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, this law infringes upon citizens’ right to a fair trial and to individual freedom. A list of famous Romanian fugitives includes the former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, the former head of Romania’s Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, Alina Bica, the son of the president of the Professional Football League, Mario Iorgulescu, and Paul Philippe of Romania, a grandson of King Carol ll. The former mayor of Baia Mare, Catalin Chereches, who had fled to Germany after having been sentenced to five years in prison for bribery, was brought to Romania on Tuesday and sent to a maximum security prison in Arad, western Romania. He was subsequently transferred to Bucharest.

     

    ART Romania will take part in this year’s Venice Art Biennale, in Italy. The project representing Romania in the 60th edition of this famed international exhibition was made public on Wednesday in Bucharest. The artist Şerban Savu’s exhibition, “What Work Is,” looks at the iconography of work, drawing on the historical realism and the propaganda art in the Eastern Bloc countries. The Venice Biennale, held between April 20 and November 24, will bring together participants from 87 countries. (AMP)