Important decision in the August 10 file. Witnesses will not be re-examined, which could speed up a verdict
The judges of the Bucharest Military Court partially admitted the requests made by the lawyers representing the Declic community and some injured persons in the “August 10, 2018” file, establishing that it is no longer necessary to rehear the majority of the witnesses.
The file concerns the intervention of the gendarmes on August 10, 2018, in Piața Victoriei. PHOTO: archive
According to the summary judgment issued on Thursday, April 9, the court found “the lack of usefulness of re-examining witnesses who have not been re-examined up to this point”, with two exceptions: the witnesses Ursulean Vlad and Nicu Dragoș Orlando, who will be summoned for the term of April 16, 2026.
Requests rejected for the hearing of important names
At the same time, the court rejected as unfounded the requests of some civil parties regarding the rehearing of public figures, including Gabriela Firea, Liviu Dragnea and Raed Arafat.
Also, the Bucharest Military Court rejected as inadmissible the requests made by people who do not have the status of parties or main procedural subjects in the file, reports News.ro.
The decision is not final and can be appealed along with the merits of the case.
Declic: “Good news for the August 10 file”
Declic representatives welcomed the court's decision, believing that it could speed up the delivery of a judgment.
“Good news for the August 10 file. The judges accepted the request of the Declic lawyers, who represent Ioan Crăciuneanu, and will no longer hear all the witnesses from Piață. This means that we can have a decision as quickly as possible, before the statute of limitations”. they transmitted.
Two weeks ago, the organization's lawyers asked to drop the hearing of 373 witnesses remaining on the list, as a result of the risk of statute of limitations in just a few months, in October 2026.
The risk of prescription, invoked by lawyers
According to Declic, more than 600 witnesses have already been heard in the file, and numerous video recordings would confirm the events in Piața Victoriei.
Lawyers argue that hearing hundreds more would not yield additional information and would unduly delay the trial, increasing the risk that the case could end without a final decision.
“If they continue… most likely we can take our mind from a verdict in the August 10 case before the statute of limitations. Justice must be efficient and swift, and in this case the reasonable time has long been exceeded.” they warned.
About the intervention of the gendarmes on August 10, 2018
The file concerns the intervention of the gendarmes on August 10, 2018, in Piața Victoriei, when the police used tear gas grenades and other means of dispersal against the protesters.
According to the investigation data, dozens of stun grenades, hundreds of tear gas grenades and hundreds of stun cartridges were used. Expertise shows that some of these had the potential to cause serious injuries.
Hundreds of people needed medical attention following the intervention.
The file was reopened after a court decision, following the actions initiated by the victims and supported by the Declic community, which financed their legal defense.
