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On January 27, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said that the commitment to the ongoing fight against negative discrimination and intolerance is renewed every day.
"Today, as we mark the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp, we remember and honour the millions of victims of the Holocaust. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to all those who suffered as a result of the Holocaust, as well as my admiration for all those who fought and continue to fight for the triumph of reason and tolerance over prejudice. On this day, as every day, we commemorate the Holocaust and renew our commitment to the ongoing fight against negative discrimination and intolerance," Predoiu is quoted as saying in a Justice Ministry press release.
He reiterated his message to European rabbis in the presence of the chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania that "memory is insufficient" and that action must be taken to ensure that this will not happen again, and to implement solutions to condemn negative discrimination and abolish all forms of violence against the Jewish community and other vulnerable groups.
Moreover, in the current international context marked by a worrying growth in extremism, intolerance and radicalisation, the Justice Ministry is paying attention to hate speech and hate crimes and, more broadly, the fight against racism and anti-Semitism, added Predoiu.
He said that as early as 2020 he requested the Supreme Council of Magistrates and the Attorney General to review the provisions of Article 369 of the Criminal Code (incitement to hatred) and other crimes which fall under Ordinance 31/2002, to be taken into account when drawing up the annual continuing professional training plans for the magistrates.
The ministry also participated in the development of the National Strategy for the Prevention and Combat of Anti-Semitism (2021).
Predoiu added that the ministry initiated steps to organise a hate crime training programme for Romanian magistrates jointly with German partners.
"The collaboration was carried out through the German Foundation for International Co-operation (IRZ) with support from the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. So far, applied discussions have taken place between the beneficiary institutions in Romania (the attorney general and the National Institute of the Magistrates, facilitated by the Justice Ministry for the presentation of the training needs at the level of the judiciary."
Predoiu added that the Justice Ministry has "actively" supported international co-operation regarding Holocaust education, research and remembrance, with Romania being one of the first eight countries to sign the Vienna Declaration on enhancing cooperation in fighting Anti-Semitism and encouraging reporting of antisemitic incidents as part of a European conference on anti-Semitism.
"We actually supported, at all JHA meetings, the European initiatives initiated to combat anti-Semitism and hate speech. We consider that this way we truly honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and reward the survivors," says Predoiu. AGERPRES
