PHOTO / VIDEO Protest against Lia Savonea, in front of the High Court: “Out, out, you are much too special!”, “Lie, lie, lark, how do you get her out of prison”

A protest against the mandate of Lia Savonea at the head of the High Court of Cassation and Justice takes place on Friday evening in front of the Supreme Court, where the participants demand its revocation and accuse of undermining the independence of the judiciary. At the same time, on the steps of the institution, a group of lawyers display messages of support for the Supreme Court.

Protesters brought models of Lia Savonea, some with the message “I provide protection for the corrupt”. Banners with caricatures of the head of the High Court also appear in the images captured at the scene.

(Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)

Lawyers on the steps of the ICCJ, in support of the magistrates of the High Court

The demonstration, announced on Facebook under the title “What is Lia doing with the Romanian Justice? – We demand the dismissal of the defender of the corrupt!”, includes chants such as “Nicușor, at the CSM!”, “Out, out, you are too special!”, “Resign, Lia Savonea!” and “Lie, lie, lark, how do you break him out of prison,” according to G4Media.

In parallel, a pro-Călin Georgescu counter-demonstration is also taking place, with participants chanting “Georgescu president!”, according to the same source.

In front of the institution's entrance, eight lawyers are holding A4 sheets with messages such as: “Next to the High Court”, “The Act of Justice is not negotiable”, “No popular justice”, “The independence of justice protects the citizen”. In the photos, lawyers appear in robes, sitting on the steps of the court.

(Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)

The civic organizations that announced the protest said that they are taking to the streets “for Justice, for Romania, for the future in which the law really applies!”.

They accuse Lia Savonea of ​​having supported legislative changes that weakened the anti-corruption fight, such as loopholes for quick prescription and advantages for politicians with heavy cases, turned the CSM into a political tool, intimidated and isolated inconvenient magistrates, promoted controversial people, especially at the Section for the Investigation of Infractions in Justice (SIIJ), highly disputed decisions and influencing judicial panels in sensitive cases.

The NGOs also complain that the procedure for appointing Lia Savonea “was started outside the legal term and with a lack of transparency. Declic contested in court the appointment of Lia Savonea because it was done 3 months earlier than the legal term”.

The organizers of the demonstration: “The protest is strictly aimed at the conduct and actions of Lia Savonea and the head of the CSM, Elena Costache”

The organizations publicly demand the revocation of Lia Savonea from the head of the Supreme Court and campaign for “an independent, transparent, European justice and oriented to the truth, not to the protection of the privileged”.

They also conveyed that the approach does not represent “an attack against the judicial system” or “against all magistrates”, after the Section for judges of the CSM qualified the public challenge of the president of the High Court as “an unprecedented escalation of the campaign against the judicial system”, according to News.ro.

The NGOs state that they respect the independence of the judiciary and recognize the existence of “many judges of integrity, who exercise their profession with responsibility and professionalism”. They claim that the protest strictly targets the “conduct and actions” of Lia Savonea and the head of the CSM, Elena Costache, whom they accuse of trying to “claim the role of substituting the entire judicial power”.

According to the organizations Romania Initiative, Corruption Kills, Timișoara Initiative, Resistance and Declic, criticizing public institutions and people in positions of authority is “legitimate” in a democracy and “cannot be equated with undermining justice”. The NGOs state that their approach is “peaceful, transparent and democratic” and aims to “restore integrity, transparency and public trust in judicial institutions”.

In a separate statement, the Section for Judges of the SCM complained about “repeated public attacks against the High Court”, claiming that the actions of the NGOs would represent “unprecedented pressure on the judiciary”. The magistrates also stated that the prescription situation would not have had the current effects “if the legislative authority had intervened promptly after the CCR decision”.