Bucharest Military Court Begins Appeal Hearing in August 10 Protest Case
The Bucharest Military Court of Appeal started hearing the appeal in the “10 August” case, where former Jandarmerie chiefs were acquitted at first instance for alleged service abuse during the 2018 protest.
The Military Court of Appeal in Bucharest commenced the appellate review of the “10 August” dossier on Tuesday. The original trial, overseen by judge Nicolae George Octavian of the Military Tribunal, resulted in acquittals of former Jandarmerie commanders on the basis that their actions were not defined as crimes under the penal code. The Military Prosecutor's Office lodged an appeal against that ruling.
More than one hundred individuals who were injured during the forceful crackdown have also lodged appeals. Prosecutors allege that the former chiefs, including colonel Laurențiu Cazan, Gheorghe Cucoș and Ionuț Sindile, ordered illegal and unjustified use of force, employing rubber batons, shields, tear-gas, acoustic grenades and other crowd-control devices, which they describe as inhuman and degrading treatment.
Why it matters
The appeal could overturn acquittals and set a precedent for accountability of security forces in protest actions.
In this story
