The Romanian Senate adopted a bill this week stating that the initiation or establishment of a fascist, legionary, racist, or xenophobic organization, as well as joining or supporting such a group in any form, “constitutes a criminal offense and is punishable by imprisonment from 3 to 10 years and the prohibition of certain rights.”
“Denying, contesting, approving, justifying or obviously minimizing, by any means, in public, the Holocaust or its effects is punishable by imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years and the prohibition of certain rights,” the draft law further stipulates.
The legislation received 78 votes “in favor,” 15 “against,” and 25 abstentions in the Senate. It was then sent to the Chamber of Deputies for debate and final vote, as the decision-making body.
The bill initiated by Silviu Vexler, a deputy representing the Jewish minority in Romania, aims to curtail antisemitism, xenophobia, radicalization, and hate speech, as well as the cult of persons guilty of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
According to the initiator, “distributing or making available to the public, in any way, fascist, legionary, racist, and xenophobic materials constitutes a criminal offense and is punishable by imprisonment from one to five years and the prohibition of certain rights,” and if the act is committed through an IT system, “the sentence limit is increased by half,” according to Agerpres.
Romanian authorities have been actively trying to tackle an apparent rise in legionary propaganda that accompanied the recent rise of far-right, extremist politicians. Last year, reports showed that pro-Russian, far-right figure Calin Georgescu maintained close ties with members of the far-right organizations claiming to continue the work of the fascist Legionary Movement founded by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, which also operated as a political party in Romania between 1927 and 1941.
Between 2022 and 2024, courts in Romania convicted only two individuals for Legionnaire and anti-Semitic propaganda, addressing crimes committed between 2013 and 2017.
(Photo source: Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com)
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