Romania
Romania has a dedicated counterterrorism law from 2004. There is no carve-out for the exercise of fundamental human rights.
The Definition of Terrorism in Domestic Law
Terrorism is generally defined in Article 1 of the 2004 Law as
the ensemble of actions and/or threats that represent a public danger and affect national security, with the following characteristics:
a) they are committed with premeditation by terrorist entities, motivated by extremist beliefs and attitudes, hostile to other entities, against which they act through violent and/or destructive modalities;
b) they are aimed at specific objectives, of political nature;
c) they concern human and/or material factors within the public authorities and institutions, the civil population or any other segment belonging to these;
d) they produce situations that have a deep psychological impact upon the population, which are meant to draw attention to the goals that they pursue.
Adherence to Global and Regional Terrorism Treaties
Romania is a State Party to all of the main United Nations treaties on terrorism.
| Treaty | Adherence |
|---|---|
| 1973 Convention on Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons | State Party |
| 1979 Hostage-Taking Convention | State Party |
| 1997 Terrorist Bombings Convention | State Party |
| 1999 Terrorist Financing Convention | State Party |
| 2005 Nuclear Terrorism Convention | State Party |
Romania is also a State Party to most of the European treaties on terrorism.
| Treaty | Adherence |
|---|---|
| 1977 European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism | State Party |
| 2003 Protocol amending the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism | State Party |
| 2005 Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism | State Party |
| 2015 Additional Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism | Signatory |
Laws and Penalties for Terrorist Offences
Article 2 of the 2004 Law determines that:
The acts committed by terrorist entities shall be sanctioned according to the present law, if they meet one of the following conditions:
a) they are usually committed through violence and they cause states of disquiet, uncertainty, fear, panic or terror among the population;
b) they seriously infringe upon both specific and non-specific human factors and material factors;
c) they are aimed at specific objectives, of political nature, by determining the State authorities or an international organisation to ordain, to renounce or to influence the making of a decision in favour of the terrorist entity.
The predicate offences listed in the Act are punishable as follows. Generally, the punishment for a terrorist offence is imprisonment for between 15 and 20 years while threatening a terrorist act carries a sentence of imprisonment from three to ten years.Art. 32(2), 2004 Law on Combating Terrorism.
Counterterrorism Capacities and Policies at Domestic Level
Romania has dedicated counterterrorism capacity in its national police.
Glossary
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