The number of cases opened by prosecutors for offenses such as Holocaust denial, Legionnaire propaganda, or the apology of war criminals has significantly increased in 2025.
The Public Ministry received 248 cases last year based on Government Emergency Ordinance 31/2002, which prohibits fascist, Legionnaire, racist, or xenophobic organizations and symbols and the promotion of the cult of persons convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, according to data obtained by RFI Romania from the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. In 2024, the number of cases was 119, representing an increase of over 108%.
Few cases resolved, and even fewer indicted
Out of the 248 cases, only 59 were resolved, which is less than a quarter. These led to 20 indictments - 18 through indictments and two through guilty plea agreements.
Although there was a tenfold increase compared to the two indictments in 2024, the indictments in 2025 represent only a third of the cases resolved and approximately 8% of the total cases registered.
The General Prosecutor's Office does not specify what happened with these cases in court, but it is unlikely that there were any definitive convictions based on Government Emergency Ordinance 31/2002 in 2025, a situation similar to that of 2024, as highlighted by RFI.
Last year, a case was also initiated against former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, accused of Legionnaire propaganda and the apology of war criminals, including Ion Antonescu, but the trial has not started.
A contested law and political protests
In the 23 years since the adoption of Government Emergency Ordinance 31/2002, Romanian justice has handed down only one definitive conviction for these offenses. In 2022, the Bucharest Court of Appeal found former SRI officer Vasile Zărnescu guilty of Holocaust denial but replaced the prison sentence with a simple warning.
Meanwhile, the normative act has been amended by Law 241/2025, known as the "Vexler Law," after its initiator, MP Silviu Vexler. The law has been criticized, including by President Nicușor Dan, who referred it to the Constitutional Court and sent the act back to Parliament. Parliament readopted it unchanged.
On January 15, 2026, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, led by George Simion, and the Conservative Action, led by MEP Claudiu Târziu, organized a protest against the new law.