A group representing European Jewish communities has appealed on Romanian President Traian Basescu to look into the case of an Israeli Jewish citizen who reportedly has been the victim of an aggressive anti-Semitic smear campaign in Romania.
46-year-old Elan Schwarzenberg, an Israel-Romanian businessman active in real estate, advertising, media and commerce, is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation conducted by the National Anticorrution Directorate (DNA). He has been indicted last year by the judicial authorities for alleged fraud and tax evasion. Authorities ubpoenaed him in order to inform him of the charges brought against him, according to the DNA.
While Romanian authorities pretend that this is purely a ‘’criminal investigation’’, reports emerged that Schwarzenberg has been the victim of an anti-Semitic campaign linked to a political fight for control of the TV station he owned, Realitatea TV and financial interests in view of elections in the country.
In 2012, following political changes in Romania he became a real enemy for almost every politician in the country and especially for those in power.
This new situation resulted in a political fight for control of his TV station Realitatea Tv and financial interests in view of the presidential elections in the country later this year.
Prosecutors reportedly fed the media with unproven information and subsequently Schwartzenberg lost control of his tv station because of his purported political activities a situation which heavily damaged his reputation with friends and business partners. Moreover, Schwartzenberg’s family and friends have been intimidated when anti-terror police broke into their houses at dawn. The Romanian media attached apparently anti-Semitic rhetoric to its reporting of the case and to interviews with Schwarzenberg, thereby creating a prejudicial environment surrounding his prosecution.
The European Jewish Association (EJA), a Brussels-based organization representing various Jewish communities across Europe said it was disappointed with the fact that the Romanian authorities didn’t react to its call earlier this year regarding the status and legitimacy of the proceedings against Schwarzenberg.
EJA Director General Rabbi Menachem Margolin regretted that this issue ‘’gives very bad feeling about the level of anti-Semitisim in this country.’’
In a letter, he appealed on Romanian President Basescu ‘’to take the necessary steps to prevent the continuation of what would appear to be an anti-Semitic bias against Mr.Schwarzenberg, and, in doing so, send the unequivocal message to European Jewry that Romania will not tolerate the hateful stain of anti-Semitism on its reputation and in its society.’’
In response to a question by email on this issue by EJP, the Romanian Prosecutor’s office at the National Anticorruption Directorate, said that ‘’any association of the legal proceedings conducted by the judicial authorities from Romania and from Israel wih motivations of any political or religious nature is not supported by any real fact.’’
‘’The investigation in question is conducted strictly in connection to data and clues regarding the perpetration of several criminal offenses provided by the law on preventing, discovering and sanctioning corruption offense.’’’ the office said.
However, according to information obtained by EJP, in July 2012 the prosecutor ignored two official registered letters from Schwartzenberg’s Romanian lawyer in which he asked for a meeting. In September 2013, an Israeli lawyer wrote to Romania’s Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi but in her answer in Romanian she refused a request for meeting.
Another similar case in Romania involves Dan Adamescu, the owner of another media, Romania Libera, an independent investigative newspaper focusing on exposing corruption. The 66-yar-old German citizen of Jewish descent was put in prison for three months without due access to legal or medical care despite being gravely ill. According to a cabinet representing the owners of Romania Libera ‘’there is a subtle but strong anti-Semitic undertone in this case.’’