March 15 (SeeNews) - Endemic official corruption, pressure on the media and police violence against the Roma community are Romania's most significant human rights issues, the US Department of State said.
"The judiciary took steps to prosecute and punish officials who committed abuses, but authorities delayed proceedings involving alleged police abuse. The result was that many of the cases ended in acquittals," the State Department said in its country report on human rights practices in Romania for 2018.
The report notes that the Romanian government did not have effective mechanisms to investigate and punish abuse, and impunity was a problem following violence during anti-corruption protests in August 2018.
More than 770 persons submitted criminal complaints concerning violent incidents on August 10 when the riot police allegedly used excessive force against peaceful protesters, the report reads.
Soon after the protests, the minister of the interior announced the police report concerning the protest was classified, but in September the General Prosecutor’s Office stated the declassification of documents was required so that parties, suspects, and lawyers could have access to them. As of November the report had not been declassified, the State Department said.
Pro-government media a played a key role in spreading misinformation during the demonstrations, the State Department said.
Even though in Romania the constitution provides for freedom of expression, independent organizations throughout 2018 noted excessive politicization of the media, corrupt financing mechanisms, and editorial policies subordinated to owner interests.
The report also reads that prison conditions remained harsh and did not meet international standards in Romania, as abuse of prisoners by authorities and other prisoners reportedly continued to be a problem. Moreover, lack of sufficient personnel, physical space, and technology to enable the judiciary to act swiftly and efficiently continued, resulting in excessively long trials.
Ther State Department mentioned that even though in Romania the law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, NGOs reported that societal discrimination against LGBTI persons was common, and there were some reports of violence against them. Discrimination in employment occurred against LGBTI persons. On June 9, a pride parade with more than 5,000 participants took place without incident in Bucharest, but before the event approximately 100 persons took part in a counter protest, the report reads.