The Bucharest Court of Appeal on Monday postponed decision on the challenge filed by former candidate Calin Georgescu against the annulment of the presidential election.
„I want to thank Romanians who waited here today for this decision, who waited in the cold, who endured. After 35 years, I believe that Romanian deserves justice. I was stunned to watch how none of the defendants had any proof, none, zero. They declined any procedural clause, which means that they also decline their presence here. Besides that, a couple of days before, former president Klaus Iohannis himself said that there was no actual proof, only suspicions. Therefore, after all that what said here today, the Court decided to return with a final judgment, in the shortest while, it’s not clear exactly when. We expect a fair and just result for the dignity and honour of the Romanian people. I am very grateful for everything that happened here today and I want to thank the Romanian people who came here in such a large number (…) We have already made history, considering how the Romanian people proved his unity. I place my hope in a professional justice and not a politicized one,” stated Georgescu, upon exiting from the court room.
Georgescu’s lawyer explained that the court postponed a decision on the merits in the context in which the magistrates need to solve several challenges against the judge that was appointed for this case, Cristina Ardeleanu.
The court session started around 2 pm on Monday, with more than 1,000 supporters of Georgescu waiting outside, with flags and vuvuzelas, chanting against the current political power and singing patriotic songs.
However, at a certain points, the session was interrupted, after Georgescu’s lawyers filed a challenge against judge Cristina Ardeleanu claiming that she can’t be impartial, in the context in which she is the wife of a prosecutors from the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA).
„It was not the Tik Tok that won, but my narrative (…) You be the lion who defends the Romanian people!” Georgescu told the judge.
In parallel with the session at the Court of Appeal, the Capital City Police informed that it opened a criminal case for „abusing a public officer” against a man who posted threats on Facebook against judge Cristina Ardeleanu.
The man who posted the message is Catalin Berenghi, a former fighter in the Foreign Legion.
Calin Georgescu and the Coalition for the Rule of Law sued the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) and several other institutions: the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Staff, the government, the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the high Court of Cassation and Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), and also president Klaus Iohannis and former presidential candidate Elena Lasconi.
The file mainly refers to the annulment of two decisions taken by BEC annulling the entire electoral process and deciding to resume presidential election from scratch, based on a decision of the Constitutional Court.
On December 6, the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election won by Calin Georgescu based on documents declassified by the Supreme Council for Country Defence (CSAT), received from the SRI, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Interior (MAI) and the Special Telecommunications Service.
The declassified documents showed that Georgescu broke the electoral law by declaring zero funds spent during his electoral campaign with the Permanent Electoral Authority, while the SRI and MAI found that his campaign was financed by Bogdan Peschir with one million euros. moreover, the same declassified documents revealed cyberattacks by a foreign state against IT&C infrastructure supporting the electoral process and that Romania was a target for aggressive hybrid actions by Russia.
According to SIE, Romania „became a priority for the hostile actions of Russia, in the context of an increasing interest in Kremlin in influencing (at least) the mood and agenda in the Romanian society during the elections.” These actions were actions of propaganda and disinformation, supporting Euro-skeptical candidates and nursing anti-system movement, including through „their involvement in protests shaping the public agenda,” encouraging the dissatisfaction/provoking emotional reactions among the population, in order to put pressure on the authorities to reduce/stop the support for Ukraine.
AGERPRES
