Diana Șoșoacă, a member of the European Parliament from Romania, was heard on Tuesday, March 24, in the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, following a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Romania regarding the lifting of her parliamentary immunity.
Șoșoacă has been accused in Romania of 11 offenses, including Legionary propaganda, promoting the cult of war criminals, and denying the Holocaust. The General Prosecutor’s Office of Romania initiated criminal proceedings against her at the end of last year and requested the lifting of her parliamentary immunity.
The case brought against Diana Șoșoacă, according to the official press release, is also related to an incident from four years ago, when she and her husband allegedly held captive and assaulted a team of Italian journalists.
After the hearing, the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs will draw up a report which will be subject to a vote in the plenary of the institution. If her immunity is lifted, Șoșoacă will be able to be investigated in Romania.
The meeting was closed, but the MEP, known for her online presence, made a 35-minute live broadcast on Facebook in which she presented her followers with details from the hearing.
“I made it very clear that it is an abuse and a precedent for them and for anyone who will have problems with the power [government]. I presented pretty much everything that happened in Romania. […] I am sure that each of them, in their heart, felt that they could be in my place at any time,” she said, implying that critics of figures like Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu or European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen could be investigated.
Șoșoacă also claimed that she is the victim of political persecution and that five countries have offered her political asylum. “There are 5 countries, some European, that have offered me the possibility to request political asylum. I thanked them nicely and refused. I am not a coward,” she claimed.
The fiery MEP became known during the pandemic, when she opposed vaccination and mask mandates. She is famous for her pro-Russian positions and was recently interviewed by propaganda channel Russia Today. During the interview, she claimed that Romanian president Nicusor Dan is illegitimate and that Romania became part of the Iran war when it allowed the US to station planes on its territory.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin)
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