Amnesty International watches on domestic violence, Roma, LGBTI rights and healthy environment in Romania

The report, consulted by AGERPRES, also notes that Romania has failed to take adequate measures to decarbonise its economy, and that the country's record on implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) remains the worst in the EU, according to the European Implementation Network and Democracy Reporting International.

Amnesty International points out that in 2023 in Romania numerous protests took place, including the right of young people to have access to inclusive education without discrimination, attempts to restrict the right to protest, women's rights, low teacher salaries, underfunding of education or the need to address climate emergencies by phasing out fossil fuels, with no major incidents reported during these demonstrations.

Also on the subject of freedom of expression and assembly, the report notes that in May last year parliament adopted a legislative proposal to increase criminal penalties for acts of "outrage" against public officials and "disturbing public order and peace," measures which the organisation says lack legal clarity and disproportionately restrict the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Some 50 NGOs raised concerns in an open letter when the bill was introduced in February, and the law was signed into law by the president in July.

On gender-based violence, law enforcement agencies have seen an increase in reported incidents of domestic violence since 2022, Amnesty notes. In February, a nationwide survey by an NGO found that respondents disapprove of violence against women more and more compared to 20 years ago, yet one in four agree that a woman cannot go out without her male partner and 23% agree that they can forbid their partner from seeing her friends. In the same survey, some 19% of respondents thought it was "not at all serious" or "less serious" for a woman to be raped after agreeing to visit a man's house.

Women did not report violent incidents out of fear for themselves or their children, distrust of the authorities, lack of alternative accommodation options and feelings of shame, Amnesty added.

Police violence against Roma remained prevalent and procedures for investigating it were inadequate, the report says under discrimination, recalling that in September 2023 the Council of Europe also criticised Romania's failure to effectively protect Roma from discrimination. The CoE deplored the prevalence of anti-Roma hate speech by politicians and also noted little tangible progress in overcoming segregation in education and housing or in narrowing the gap between Roma and the rest of the population in terms of access to healthcare, clean water and sewerage.

Same-sex marriages and partnerships remained unrecognised at the end of 2023 in Romania, Amnesty noted, bringing to mind that in May the ECHR ruled in Buhuceanu and others v Romania that same-sex families need some form of legal recognition to allow them access to equal rights, a decision in which civil society organisations urged the government to adopt adequate instruments of protection and legal recognition for all families, including LGBTI families.

Finally, Amnesty International notes, with regard to the right to a healthy environment, that according to a Eurostat report in January Romania continued to rely on fossil fuels, including coal, for 72% of its energy supply, and in April a consultation began on the country's long-term strategy for decarbonising the economy by 2050.

Several NGOs have criticised shortcomings in the implementation of Romania's decarbonisation commitments and denounced a number of projects, including deforestation, designed to allow mining and gas exploitation off the Black Sea coast, Amnesty International notes.

(Fluierul)