According to a press release from the Supreme Court, on August 6, the Criminal Division of the High Court of Cassation and Justice ruled on the appeals filed against the decision issued by the Bucharest Court of Appeals in the preliminary hearing proceedings. In its ruling, the court rejected both the appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and those filed by the defendants, upholding the decision of the Bucharest Court of Appeals.
The High Court specifies that the purpose of the preliminary hearing is to verify the legality of the referral to the court, the admission of evidence, and the conduct of the criminal investigation, without analyzing the merits of the charges or the guilt of the defendants. The court emphasizes that the ruling issued confirms only the procedural legality issues examined at this stage and does not constitute a ruling on the merits of the case. According to the press release, a determination of the defendants’ guilt or innocence will take place only during the trial on the merits, in compliance with all procedural safeguards provided by law.
Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s decision, the trial regarding the coup d’état in which Călin Georgescu, Horațiu Potra, and others are accused may now proceed to the trial on the merits.