Augustin Lazar

The Acting Justice minister Ana Birchall on Tuesday announced in a press conference she postponed the selection procedure of the Prosecutor General of Romania and of the Deputy of the national member for Eurojust.

Romania's Attorney General Augustin Lazar. Photo: EPA-EFE/ROBERT GHEMENT

The High Magistrates Council in Romania on Thursday accepted a request submitted by Attorney General Augustin Lazar, 63, to retire following a row over his alleged collaboration with the former communist regime.

Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar has filed a retirement request with the Supreme Council of Magistrates. He confirmed the information for AGERPRES. Lazar specified that his term in office as a Prosecutor General ends on April 27. Augustin Lazar had previously applied for a new term in office as prosecutor general, but the Minister of Justice, Tudorel Toader, rejected his candidacy.

Daniel Horodniceanu, former chief prosecutor of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), argues that the selection procedure of the prosecutor general initiated by the Ministry of Justice did not indicate a candidate profile or the benchmarks that those interested had to meet and considers that "without specific requirements and without a candidate profile, any

The Justice Ministry is to resume the selection procedure for bids to the position of Romania's attorney general, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader confirmed to AGERPRES on Wednesday. The decision was made after the selection board chaired by Toader rejected the four candidates who had filed bids: Augustin Lazar, Marian Drilea, Gabriela Scutea and Daniel Horodniceanu.

Romania's Attorney General Augustin Lazar said on Monday he is neither a commissioned, nor a non-commissioned officer or informer of the late Securitate political police or any other secret service. He told a news conference that he wanted to make a series of remarks out of respect to his colleagues and to truth, a value he said has always guided his life and professional activity.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Monday stated it's necessary to find out the truth about the December 1989 Revolution. "As you well know, I don't comment on matters related to justice. I believe justice should be done by judges and the less politicians talk about it the better.

National leader of the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban said on Monday that sending the December 1989 case file to court for a trial can be a good thing. "For 30 years, we have been demanding the punishment of the culprits for the deaths of the Revolution and for 30 years this file has been kept closed in the drawers of various prosecutors' offices.

The Save Romania Union (USR) hailed the conclusion of the investigation into the Revolution file by the military prosecutors and believes that, after almost 30 years since the death of more than one thousand Romanians and injury of more thousands, the justice system finally has the opportunity to do justice to victims and their families.

President Klaus Iohannis welcomes the completion of investigations under the December 1989 Revolution case file and sending the case to trial, calling it an extremely important step after a long time in establishing the truth about the events of December 1989, according to a press statement released by the Presidential Administration.