“We share a commitment to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and to honour those who stood against it.”
-- Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust
Romanian Legislation on Holocaust Denial
26.08.2015
On 22 July, the President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Johannis signed decree no. 669/2015 which prohibits organizations and symbols with fascist, racist or xenophobic character and the promotion of persons guilty of crimes against peace and humanity.
The law amends the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 31/2002. The main additions refer to: prohibiting the legionary organizations and symbols and worship of persons guilty of crimes of genocide and war crimes. Article no. 2 is supplemented by two new lines e) and f) where the Legionary Movement and the Holocaust in Romania are defined.
According to article no. 6 of the new law, the public denial, contradiction, approval, justification, minimizing by any means of the Holocaust or its effects is punished with imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years.
Holocaust denial refers to refuting Romania's role in exterminating Jews and Roma between 1940 and 1944. About 280,000 Jews and 11,000 Roma were killed during the pro-fascist regime of dictator Marshal Ion Antonescu.