Contact Admin. Romania, a country of approximately Traian Basescu was elected president in December in elections characterized by irregularities, but which were judged generally free and fair. The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces. The government made increasing attempts to address human rights issues during the year; however, human rights abuses continued to occur. The following human rights problems were reported:. There were no politically motivated killings by the government or its agents, although there were allegations that three extrajudicial killings had occurred.
Nongovernmental organizations NGOs reported suspicious circumstances surrounding the January 11 death in Buzau of year-old Dumitru Ciobu, who had been taken into custody after neighbors complained that he was disturbing public order. Ciobu reported feeling ill and died in police custody en route to the hospital. According to the forensic report, he died of a hemorrhage resulting from pancreatic cancer, but NGOs questioned the rapid progression of the disease and called for an investigation into the matter to determine if the death resulted from possible police abuse.
No investigation had been initiated by year's end. On August 6, railway transportation police shot and killed a year-old man, Gheorghe Cazanciuc, while he was allegedly stealing copper wires. The police reported that Cazanciuc attempted to flee the scene. Human rights NGOs asserted that the use of a firearm by police was excessive and illegal under the law, given the nature of the crime.
Police did not open an investigation. On August 8, four police officers in Constanta beat a drunk man, Viorel Gionea, who went into a coma and died 10 days later.
The forensic report attributed Gionea's death to a head injury he sustained from a fall at his workplace the day before the beating. The police discipline commission fired all four police officers and placed two of them under criminal investigation for abusive behavior and inflicting serious physical injuries.
