USR deputy, protester injured during the August 10 rally, file criminal complaints Wife of dead protester also lodges complaint

USR deputy Stelian Ion and Doru Oprea, one of the protesters injured during the Diaspora rally on August 10 and who underwent surgery to have a grenade’s cap removed from his leg, have filed criminal complaints at the General Prosecutor’s Office on Monday.

„Our colleague, Doru Oprea, is one of the victims mostly affected by the events of August 10. He underwent surgery and a grenade’s cap was extracted from his leg. We have all medical records, and what is equally serious is that following the surgery at the Universitar Hospital, he got with a very serious infection with clostridium difficile,” the USR deputy Stelian Ion stated.

He further said that the statements the Gendarmerie’s representatives have not been convincing on the violence of August 10, adding that USR is asking for actions both against the riot police for its abusive intervention, but also against violent protesters.

The deputy mentioned the complaint had been filed against the Interior Minister, against the prefect of Bucharest, against the gendarmerie’s chiefs-Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoş, Laurenţiu Cazan and Cătălin Răzvan Paraschiv -, but also against other gendarmes who committed violent acts.

Stelian Ion added there are other USR members who suffered injuries following the Diaspora rally and that their depositions and footage will be revealed during the investigation.

„We don’t want to see some subordinated gendarmes as scapegoats. We want this investigation to lead to the abuse of power committed by the commanders and by those who gave political orders to repress this peaceful rally. I also want measures to be taken against the hooligans who instigated and hit people and gendarmes. That lady gendarme is a Romanian as well and she mus be protected. She is no cannon fodder (…),” the USR MP said.

He explained that their colleague Doru Oprea was nearly killed for the grenade’s cap passed near the femoral artery. „It was just few milimeters close, as the surgeon explained (…) We also had a woman colleague seriously burnt on her legs, she was also admitted to the hospital many days. Things are very serious, there are many colleagues injured,” he argued.

In his turn, Doru Oprea recounted: “A grenade fell near me, cut my jeans and a plastic cap got into the muscle, near the femoral artery and I underwent surgery at the Universitar Hospitla in Bucharest that very night, at 3 a.m. They discharged me after nine days. I underwent two surgeries, one that night to remove the cap and the second one on August 14 after I had been transferred to the plastic surgery ward to repair my wound. I had antibiotics for eight days in the hospital. After I was discharged I started having chills, fever.”

Oprea also said that the surgeon who operated him suggested him to go the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Timisoara for tests, but there was nobody working there on Sunday, so, he went to a private blood drive lab and the results revealed he had a clostridium difficile infection, which is usually got in hospitals.

Wife of dead protester files complaint: I considered he has been “gassed”

Paula Gazea, the wife of the protester from Teleorman who died after attending the Diaspora rally on August 10, has also lodged a criminal complaint at the Prosecutor’s Office today, arguing her husband has died on his feet and that his death had been prompted by the tear gas sprayed by the riot police among protesters in Victoriei Square.

“I consider my husband has been gassed. And this is what prompted his death. Even if he was suffering of other affections, this is what I think,” the widow said.

Asked if the Gendarmerie is guilty of what happened to her husband, she replied: “Of course. This is what I can tell you, we’ll see how the complaint will be judged.”

The woman did not rule out to sue the Romanian state for material damage.