Prosecutors Initiate Immunity Waiver Process
Romanian prosecutors have formally requested the European Parliament to lift the parliamentary immunity of MEP Diana Șoșoacă. The request, made on Tuesday, September 23, by the Prosecutor's Office attached to Romania's High Court, aims to allow for criminal investigations into multiple serious offenses.
The charges against Șoșoacă, a prominent far-right politician and leader of S.O.S. Romania, include four counts of unlawful deprivation of liberty, four counts of publicly promoting the cult of persons convicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, and the act of publicly promoting fascist, Legionary, racist, or xenophobic ideas, concepts, or doctrines.
Details of the Allegations
The accusations of unlawful deprivation of liberty stem from an incident in December 2021. During this event, Șoșoacă and her husband allegedly held captive and assaulted a team of Italian journalists from Rai Uno who were attempting to interview her.
The charges related to promoting Legionary ideology and the cult of convicted individuals are linked to instances such as Șoșoacă's public tribute on Facebook to Corneliu Zelea-Codreanu, the historical leader of the Legionary movement in Romania.
The Immunity Lifting Procedure
The process for lifting an MEP's immunity involves several steps within the European Parliament. Upon receiving such a request from a national authority, the Parliament's President announces it to the plenary session and refers it to the responsible Legal Affairs Committee.
The committee then conducts an examination, which may include requesting additional information and allowing the concerned MEP an opportunity to be heard. Following this, the committee adopts a recommendation, which is subsequently put to a simple majority vote in the plenary session. It is important to note that the waiver of immunity does not constitute a 'guilty' verdict but merely permits national judicial authorities to proceed with an investigation or trial. An MEP retains their seat even if their immunity is waived.
Șoșoacă's Response and Political Context
In response to the summons from the General Prosecutor's Office, Diana Șoșoacă stated that she was in Brussels and her lawyer was unavailable. She characterized the request as 'a pathetic attempt to intimidate and silence me!' and asserted that she would not accept 'that justice be transformed into a political bludgeon' against her and her party.
Șoșoacă has a history of controversial behavior and strong anti-establishment views. She is known for her anti-vaccine activism, pro-Russian stance, and has been sanctioned by the European Parliament for disruptive conduct. She was also barred from running in the 2024 and 2025 Romanian presidential elections by the Constitutional Court.
5 Comments
Raphael
It's important that all politicians are held accountable, however, the perception of political targeting can undermine public trust in the legal system.
Donatello
About time! Accountability for her hateful rhetoric is long overdue.
Michelangelo
So transparently an intimidation tactic. Stand strong, Diana!
Ongania
They're just trying to remove her because she's effective. It's a witch hunt!
Manolo Noriega
Immunity is vital for democratic representation, yet it shouldn't shield anyone from facing justice for grave accusations like unlawful detention and hate speech.