Romania
Seen in the press
Read our selection of press reports about this country. This is a short description of prison conditions on a national scale. It gives an account of the preceding year’s events.
Romania: does everyone really have the right to a lawyer?
The justice system in Romania seemed stacked against people who can’t afford a private lawyer, as court appointed counsel are blocked from serving their clients properly.Source — Liberties
Romania: wiretapping, secret service control and dire prison conditions, scrutiny of Romania justice system as the country hosts the EU Summit
Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, says Romania, which currently holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, must make further efforts to fully reach European standards on the rule of law. Mr Juncker’s comments were directed at the political wrangling in Romania over the anti-corruption…Source — Eureporter
Roumaine : pourquoi le pays veut vider ses prisons
This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.Source — Le Point
Covert cooking: how to bake a pie in prison
When May Eaton was a writer in residence at a men’s jail, she found the inmates’ real creativity lay in the cakes and curries they made in their cells.Source — The Guardian
Romania could introduce electronic monitoring to reduce prison overcrowding
Romania’s Justice Ministry considers introducing electronic monitoring for convicts to reduce overcrowding in prisons, said justice minister Tudorel Toader yesterday, quoted by Mediafax.Source — Romania-Insider
Inmates in Romania, closer to having sentences reduced due to bad detention conditions
The inmates in Romania who are serving time in improper conditions may have their sentences reduced by 20%. The Chamber of Deputies adopted on Tuesday, May 9, the project that provides that, for every 30 days spent in improper conditions, an inmate would have his sentence reduced by six days.Source — Romania Insider
Romanian Senate’s committee votes pardon for jail sentences of up to 3 years
The Romanian Senate’s legal committee yesterday approved an amendment to the pardon law that grants full pardon only to prison sentences of up to three years.Source — Romania Insider
New prisons to accommodate overcrowded inmates would cost Romania more than EUR 1 billion
Marius Vulpe, the director of National Penitentiaries Administration (ANP), said Romania would need to build 8 modern prisons to solve the issue of prison overcrowding, News.ro reported. The new facilities could accommodate 8,000 to 8,500 inmates and would cost EUR 140 million each, resulting in total…Source — Romania Insider
Romania: Europe rights court blasts Romania prison conditions
The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday (25 April) took Romania to task for its dismal prison conditions, saying they could be considered inhumane and degrading.Source — Euractiv
European commission criticises Romania over prisoner pardon plan
Move to free thousands of criminals could hinder fight against corruption and undermine rule of law, officials warnSource — The Guardian
Romania’s justice minister: amnesty shouldn’t be considered, but pardon should
Romania’s justice minister Florin Iordache said on Tuesday that pardon should be considered to solve problem of overcrowded prisons, but a law on amnesty shouldn’t be taken into consideration.Source — Romania Insider
Life in romanian prisons before the country joined the EU
Circumstances in Romanian prisons were pretty dire before the country joined the EU. Photographer Cosmin Bumbut documented the change.Source — Vice
Romanian prison employees ask for justice minister’s resignation, start series of protests
Prison employees started a series of protests on Monday morning, September 26, as they are unhappy with the work conditions and wage inequities. Moreover, they also want justice minister Raluca Pruna to resign.Source — Romania Insider
Romania : thousands of prisoners could get out of jail earlier due to overcrowding
Romanian minister of justice Raluca Pruna wants to simplify the way prisoners can be released on parole, to solve the problem of prison overcrowding. Thus, thousands of prisoners could get out of jail earlier. However, they will still have to meet some criteria, the minister said at local TV station…Source — Romania Insider
Thousands march against prison pardons in Romania
Critics of plan said to be aimed at easing overcrowding claim it would help government allies convicted of corruptionSource — The Guardian
Romania : protests at three prisons over poor conditions
Detainees in three Romanian prisons have protested against conditions, setting light to clothes and refusing food. The protest began in the high-security prison of Iasi this week where prison authorities said inmates set light to a cell. The protest spread to two other prisons.Source — The New York Times
Romania : UN torture prevention experts urge Romania to tackle prison overcrowding
Romania has made progress in improving conditions of detention in the country but much remains to be done, including reducing overcrowding in prisons and other places where people are deprived of their liberty, UN experts have said.Source — United Nations
Romania : 100,000 € to 18 inmates because of overcrowded prisons
Romania will have to pay close to EUR 100,000 compensations to 18 convicted inmates who have served prison sentences or are currently incarcerated because of the poor detention conditions in local prisons, following a decision by the European Court of Human Rights – ECHR in Strasbourg.Source — Romania Insider
