Protest at Palace of Justice following conviction of lawyer Robert Rosu in 'Ferma Baneasa` case

Dozens of lawyers organized, on Monday, at the Palace of Justice in Bucharest, a protest regarding the 5-year conviction of their colleague Robert Rosu, in the "Ferma Baneasa" case.

"Interdiction of identifying the lawyer with the client", "#alaturideRobert", "Aligning penal justice to rule of law" are messages from the banners carried by the protesting lawyers on the steps inside the Palace of Justice.

The lawyers' gesture follows after the Bar Union of Romania (UNBR) harshly criticized the conviction of attorney Robert Rosu and announced that it supports the protest, including in not participating in the court sessions of the Supreme Court that condemned the attorney.

Thus, through a press release on Friday, UNBR considers it a "radical discrepancy" between the decision of acquittal given in the case of attorney Robert Rosu from the Brasov Supreme Court and condemning him to a 5-year prison term applied by the Supreme Court that "shows the weaknesses of the system, with consequences upon the credibility of justice, to both lawyers, as well as the public".

"Starting from the case of attorney Robert - Mihaita Rosu, condemned in the "Baneasa" case, on December 17, 2020, UNBR brings up yet again inside the professional body, of the authorities and the public, the issue regarding the accusation and conviction of attorneys for the steps they take in the representation and counseling of their client (...), given that one of the Courts noticed that the actions of the attorney are well within the normal exercise of their position (drafting contracts, notifications, memoirs) and that there is no evidence of deeds of receiving goods in exchange for the promise that they will intervene by competent public clerks to dispose the return of the goods reclaimed by one of the defendants which the attorney was representing, is unacceptable and surpasses the power of understanding as to how, in the same matter, the final decision is radically different", UNBR declares.

On the other hand, the chairman of the Supreme Court, Corina Corbu, said in a press release on Saturday, that the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) admits and supports the fundamental right to free speech of any person or organization, including under the aspect of expressing critical appreciation regarding the judges' decision, but "the public speech regarding the public service of justice should be able to characterize, beyond the emotional context, through rigor, balance and a minimum equidistance on behalf of all people involved".

Last Thursday, Robert Rosu, the attorney of Prince Paul of Romania, was irrevocably sentenced by the High Court of Cassation and Justice to 5 years in prison in the case of the illegal return of the Royal Farm of Baneasa.

In the same case, Prince Paul of Romania received a 3 year and 4 months conviction, while businessman Remus Truica got 7 years, both punishments being in state prison. The damage in this case rises up to 145 million Euro.