The UN is investigating the violence on August 10, during the Diaspora rally in Bucharest

The United Nations is investigating the violence conducted by Gendarmerie during the Diaspora rally on August 10, 2018, in Victoriei Square, downtown Bucharest.

The information is delivered by the ‘Declic’ community, which launched a petition in this regard in August 2018.

“The United Nations Organization has started an investigation on the Gendarmerie violence on August 10 and requests explanations from the Romanian Government on the use of force against the peaceful demonstrators. The UN has thus answered the petition filed by the ‘Declic’ community, whereby 80,000 people have requested the UN to investigate and sanction the abuses of the Gendarmerie during the Diaspora rally,” ‘Declic’ informs in a press release, ziare.com reports.

“Our contact person with the UN has informed us regarding the correspondence with the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry on the issue of violating the human rights during the Diaspora rally.

In a letter sent to Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu, he was informed that the UN has received information pointing to violations of human rights during the protests on August 10. The letter includes tough terms on the Government and on the ways the authorities have chosen to deal with the peaceful protesters,” Antoniu Bumb, ‘Declic’ campaigner, has said.

According to the quoted source, the UN report on Diaspora rally will be completed and publicly released in March, on the occasion of the Human Rights Council sitting. Minister Teodor Melescanu is called to answer all charges and is requested information about the investigations in Romania regarding the Gendarmerie’s violence.

‘Declic’ further says that the UN asks for proves that measures have been made so that “the defenders of human rights in Romania, including the protesters, can carry on their activities without the fear of retaliations.”

The release reads that David Kaye, UN special rapporteur for upholding and protecting the freedom of expression and opinion, has written to FM Melescanu: “Your Excellency, we want to inform the Government you are a member of, that we have received information regarding the use of force against the protesters, information that lead to concerns regarding violations of human rights in Romania. (…) Equally, we express our concern regarding the surprising statements made by Government officials, by which they tried to justify the Gendarmerie’s actions.”

‘Declic’ claims it also has the answer from Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu addressed to the UN rapporteurs.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured the United Nations that Romanis is a functional democracy, without answering concretely to none of the requests addressed by the UN. The UN rapporteurs are only informer about the ongoing official investigations in Romania,” ‘Declic’ informs.

More than 400 persons have been injured on the night of August 10, 2018, during the Diaspora rally.

The ‘Declic’ community initiated, in August 2018, a petition and requested the UN, along with 80,000 signatories, to launch an own analyses of the evidence and to assess the charges of violations of human rights.

file photo: rally on August 10