Source: https://www.eifrf-articles.org/Romanian-court-completely-acquits-the-21-people-from-MISA-yoga-school-accused-of-human-trafficking_a161.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 06:53:14+00:00

Document:
After more than 10 years, the Romanian court completely acquitted the 21 people from MISA yoga school, accused of human trafficking. For ten years, the media has continued a witch hunt on MISA yoga school, who is now fully acquitted of all accusations. The decision found much of the evidence put forth by the prosecution to be unfounded or illegal. Again we face a large scale fake-trial against a spiritual movement, with grave violations of the fundamental rights of thousands of yoga practitioners.
The trial was part of the internationally questioned Romanian campaign against the MISA yoga school. The campaign started in 2004 with the largest police action in post-communist Romanian history. Under the pretext of national security, 300 armed gendarmes raided 16 private houses belonging to yogis. The yoga school was accused of paramilitary activity and the attack was conducted under the code name „Operation Christ”. The raid was filmed and leaked to the media the same day. The images and reports triggered international criticism among European politicians and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and The Romanian Helsinki Commission APADOR-CH. The Danish Member of European Parliament at that time, Mrs Ulla Sandbaek, advised the leader of the yoga school to immediately flee the persecutions and ask for asylum in Sweden. The Swedish Supreme Court found him innocent and gave him asylum, being persecuted due to his religious beliefs.
For a decade the persecutions continued in Romania against Mr Bivolaru and his students, with long trials based on false accusations, media and social stigmatization of tens of thousands of yogis. Finally the accusations have now been dropped and Romania must aim to heal the wounds caused by the on-going marginalization of a major religious minority.
The political scientist, human rights activist and founder of APADOR-CH Mr Gabriel Andreescu has written two books on the on-going persecution of the Romanian yoga school. He states that there will not be any human rights in Romania until the persecution is stopped, and that the victims must be compensated.
Most of the trials initiated in the persecutions of 2004 have ended in full acquittal. So far no compensation has been discussed. Unfortunately the trial against Mr Bivolaru took a much critiqued turn as he, after being acquitted in first and second instance, was convicted to six years imprisonment in absentia. As Romania is today part of the European Union and Mr Bivolaru received asylum in Sweden because of precisely these persecutions, the conviction followed by a European Arrest Warrant has triggered a unique and highly disturbing situation, where a refugee is both protected and persecuted within for the same accusations within one and the same judicial system.
It is not unusual for spiritual schools to be falsely accused of human trafficking. At the OSCE HDIM 2014 Soteria International highlighted this problem both in Germany (Deutche Academie fur Traditionelles Yoga) and Italy (Ananda Assisi). Ananda Assisi is a Yoga organization which over 2002 - 2009 was the subject of such a judicial inquiry, facing accusations of being a sect which “enslaved” people by forcing them to work without being paid, and other accusations including the premise that Ananda was a “pseudo-religion”. People were harassed and came under social pressure, were taken to court and eventually imprisoned. After more years of investigation, the judge dismissed the case. Also here the European Union face a major question mark: why do these false accusations continue to surface regarding minor religious or spiritual movements, such as the Romanian yoga school MISA.
COPY OF MINUTES OF CRIMINAL SENTENCE NO. 62/11.02.2015.
- establishing a fascist organization as stipulated by art. 3 par. 1 in conjunction with art. 2 let. a of G.E.O. (Government Emergency Ordinance) no. 31/2002, considering that the act was not stipulated by criminal law.
- promoting racist, fascist or xenophobic ideology as stipulated by art. 5 thesis II of G.E.O. no. 31/2002, considering that the act was not stipulated by criminal law.
II. Under art. 396 pt. 5 NCCP in relation to art. 16 pt. 1 let. b NCCP and art. 4 NCCP, it rules to acquit the defendant BIVOLARU GREGORIAN on the charge of committing the act of illegal crossing of a foreign state border, considering that art. 1 par. 1 of G.E.O. 112/2001, given that the article that sanctioned the act of illegal crossing of a foreign state border was abrogated by art. 98 of title II of the Law 187/2012.
- instigating to outrage against morals and disturbing public peace under art. 375 in relation to art. 47 of the new Penal Code (previous regulation – art. 321 par. 1 of the previous Penal Code).
III. Under art. 396 pt. 5 in relation to art. 16 pt. 1 let. a NCCP, it rules to acquit the defendant BIVOLARU GREGORIAN on the charge of committing the offence of human trafficking under art. 12 par. 1 and par. 2 let. a in conjunction with art. 2 pt. 2 let. b of the Law no. 678/2001, amended with the enforcement of art. 41 par. 2 P.c. (new regulation – art. 210 par. 1 let. a NPC).
- evidence obtained through wiretaps and audio recording and it rules the exclusion of means of evidence consisting of the minutes of conversation recordings of defendant BIVOLARU GREGORIAN.
- the reports prepared during searches conducted on 18.03.2004, 19.03.2004, 21.03.2004, 22.03.2004 and 23.03.2004 and it rules the exclusion of evidence of all facts found and objects seized and recorded in the illegal search reports.
- evidence consisting in technical-scientific reports of vol. 35-42 of C.P.F. 6D/P/2004, finding reports prepared by the Romanian Psychologists Association, chief Commissioner psychologist Petrescu Luminita, psychologist Tudorel Butoi as well as of the Studies prepared by Mario Sorin Vasilescu and priest Sterea Tache.
V. It rejects all civil actions as unfounded.
VI. Under art. 399 pt. 1 NCCP, it rules to revoke the preventive detention measure ruled by the preventive arrest warrant no. 171/U of 15.04.2005 issued by the 1st Criminal Section of Bucharest Court in the File no. 2399/2005 through which the defendant Bivolaru Gregorian was taken into preventive custody under the charge of committing offenses under art. 12 par. 1 and 2 in conjunction with art. 2 pt. 2 let. b of the Law no. 678/2001 and art. 7 par. 1 of the Law no. 39/2003.
- to return all assets seized during the residence search of 18.03.2004 at the building from Bucharest, Str. Sg. Musat Constantin nr. 1, bl. 16, sc. A, ap. 3 and mentioned in the search report attached to the case file on pages 584-588, vol. 4 of the criminal prosecution file.
on the charge of committing the crime of human trafficking under art. 12 par. 1 and par. 2, let. a in conjunction with art. 2 pt. 2 let. b of the Law no. 678/2001, amended with the enforcement of art. 41 par. 2 P.c. (new regulation – art. 210 par. 1 let. a NPC).
IX. Under art. 396 pt. 6 NCCP in relation with art. 16 pt. 1 let. f NCCP, it rules to terminate criminal proceedings against the defendant LOMOS DUMITRU REMUS following his death on 04.11.2014.
- ROSU CAMELIA, ROSU PETRU and BURUIANA OVIDIU EUSEBIO, on the charge of committing the crime of establishing a fascist organization under art. 3 par. 1 in conjunction with art. 2 let. a of G.E.O. no. 31/2002, given that the act was not incriminated at the time it was perpetrated – ROSU CAMELIA, ROSU PETRU and BURUIANA OVIDIU EUSEBIO on the charge of committing the crime of promoting a fascist, racial or xenophobe ideology under art. 5 thesis II of G.E.O. 31/2002, given that the act was not incriminated at the time when it was committed.
- ROSU CAMELIA and ROSU PETRU on the charge of committing the act of distribution or sale of fascist symbols under art. 4 par. 1 thesis I of G.E.O. 31/2002, given that the act was not incriminated at the time when it was committed.
- BURUIANA OVIDIU EUSEBIO on the charge of committing the crime of denial of the Holocaust under art.6 of G.E.O. 31/2002, given that the act was not incriminated at the time when it was committed.
- the offence of initiation or constitution of an organized crime group under art. 367 par. 1 thesis I of the new Penal code (old regulation – art. 7 par. 1 thesis I in conjunction with art. 2 let. a and b pt. 12 of the Law no. 39/2003) regarding defendants ROSU CAMELIA, CATRINA NICOLAE, VISTERNEANU LACRAMIOARA and ROSU PETRU.
- the offense of adhesion or support of an organized crime group under art. 367 par. 1 thesis II of the new Penal code (old regulation – art. 7 par. 1 thesis I in conjunction with art. 2 let. a and b pt. 12 of the Law no. 39/2003) regarding the defendants NECULA MARIUS, VISAN TEODORA CAMELIA, TANTAS MIHAELA, COJOCARU COSTICA, LAZAR MARIANA CIPRIANA, RADU IULIANA, BOZARU DAN, STROE CRISTINA, TIPLEA GRIGORE, MIHAILESCU DIANA SILVIA, NEGICI MIHAI ROBERT, BOZDOC ALEXANDRU CRISTIAN, DOCHINOIU DIANA, BURUIANA OVIDIU EUSEBIO.
- the offence of inciting to discrimination under art. 369 of the new Penal code (old regulation – art. 317 of the old Penal code) regarding the defendants BURUIANA OVIDIU EUSEBIO, ROSU PETRU and ROSU CAMELIA.
- the offense of outrage against moral and disturbing public peace under art. 375 of the new Penal code (old regulation – art. 321 par. 1 of the old Penal code) regarding the defendants MIHAILESCU DIANA, BURUIANA OVIDIU EUSEBIO, DOCHINOIU DIANA, LAZAR MARIANA CIPRIANA and TIPLEA GRIGORE.
- the offence of distribution without the authorization or consent of the owner of rights of a work under art. 140 let. b of the Law no. 8/1996 (old regulation – art. 140 let. a of the Law no. 8/1996) regarding the defendants CATRINA NICOLAE and LAZAR MARIANA CIPRIANA, and under art. 25 NCCP it left the civil lawsuit unsolved.
- the offense of reproduction without copyright of a work under art. 140 let. a of the Law no. 8/1996 (old regulation – art. 142 let. a of the Law no. 8/1996) regarding the defendants CATRINA NICOLAE and LAZAR MARIANA CIPRIANA, and under art. 25 NCCP it left the civil lawsuit unsolved.
recordings of defendant Dochinoiu Diana and the communications of SC EXTAZ SRL.
XIII. It rejects all civil actions as unfounded.
- for injured parties Muresan Diana and Marques (former Muresan) Agness Arabella, the amount of 300 lei, for lawyer Maxim Anca.
XVI. Under art. 275 par. 3 NCCP, legal costs remain the responsibility of the state.
With right to appeal within 10 days from ruling.
Ruled in public session of 11.02.2015.

References: art. 3
 art. 2
 art. 5
 art. 396
 art. 16
 art. 4
 art. 1
 art. 98
 art. 375
 art. 47
 art. 321
 art. 396
 art. 16
 art. 12
 art. 2
 art. 41
 art. 210

V. 
 art. 399
 art. 12
 art. 2
 art. 7
 art. 12
 art. 2
 art. 41
 art. 210
 art. 396
 art. 16
 art. 3
 art. 2
 art. 5
 art. 4
 art.6
 art. 367
 art. 7
 art. 2
 art. 367
 art. 7
 art. 2
 art. 369
 art. 317
 art. 375
 art. 321
 art. 140
 art. 140
 art. 25
 art. 140
 art. 142
 art. 25
 art. 275