European Parliament lifts immunity of Romanian lawmaker in extremism case

The European Parliament has voted to strip Romanian MEP Diana Șoșoacă of her parliamentary immunity, allowing prosecutors in Romania to proceed with a criminal investigation into multiple allegations, including extremist propaganda.

The decision, adopted during a plenary session on April 28, follows a request from the Public Ministry of Romania, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Șoșoacă is under investigation for 11 alleged offences, among them the promotion of fascist ideology, glorification of war criminals, and Holocaust denial.

However, the Parliament made a limited exception, declining to lift immunity for statements made by Șoșoacă within the European Parliament itself, including a speech in which she praised former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

In response, Șoșoacă said she would challenge the decision at the Court of Justice of the European Union, arguing that the distinction between statements made in Brussels and those in Romania was inconsistent. She described the move as politically motivated and “without precedent”.

The vote followed a prior recommendation by the Parliament’s legal affairs committee, which backed the request overwhelmingly. Two separate votes were held in plenary based on a report prepared by Polish MEP Dominik Tarczyński.

According to Romanian media, members of the nationalist AUR party voted against lifting immunity, diverging from the broader position of their European political group, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.

The lifting of immunity exposes Șoșoacă to possible prosecution, searches, or detention under Romanian law, marking a significant escalation in legal proceedings against the controversial politician.

By Aghakazim Guliyev