Several small groups of nuns belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church have been speaking out publicly for the last three years against the ecclesiastical leaders of the Church. Using information proving that the leaders compromised with the communist regime, the nuns have been seeking the replacement of the compromised leaders demonstrating in and around churches, always at the end of masses. Almost without exception, the nuns have been arrested by the police and fined for disturbing public order. Amazingly, the court ruled that the speech of the nuns could be restricted because it was directed either against the patriarch or against other Orthodox leaders. Had the nuns taken to the streets in praise of the church leaders, their speeches presumably would have been deemed lawful.
Police brutality is another area of concern.
Although unlawful, police brutality is widespread and, to a large extent, goes unpunished. The old rules and old thinking that leave the police with excessive power over individuals are still alive, and the current attitudes of both the police and the public favor continued police brutality. Under postcommunist conditions, crime is on the rise, new types of crimes occur, and organized crime is spreading rapidly. The media report the crime, sensationalizing it, because it serves the financial interests of the newspapers. Society's response is to live in fear and accept the use of excessive force by the police.