Lawyer Rapcea challenges judicial supervision amid Legionary and antisemitic charges

Bucharest lawyer Mihai Rapcea, who faces accusations of promoting Legionary ideas and antisemitic messages, has contested the judicial supervision imposed on him. Rapcea, with over 25 years of professional experience, is currently under judicial control in a case where prosecutors allege he disseminated materials with fascist characteristics and antisemitic content. The measure followed his initial 24-hour detention after a house search. Rapcea argues that key evidence, especially data extracted from his phone, was obtained through improper procedures and should not form the basis of preventive measures. He also questions the authority of the National Institute for the Study of Holocaust in Romania "Elie Wiesel" to determine if certain acts or symbols are Legionary or fascist. The lawyer maintains his actions constitute expressions of opinion protected by freedom of speech, not criminal offenses. "The prosecutor is misinterpreting the evidence and, exceeding the procedural framework, makes value judgments intended to artificially cover the lack of evidence regarding the subjective aspect (guilt-intent) of the offenses charged against the defendant," Rapcea stated in his request. "We draw attention that the multitude of sophisms disguised as legal reasoning cannot constitute evidence in the case, as the means of proof are strictly and limitatively regulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure."

Prosecutors allege that Rapcea promoted cults of war crime convicts on social media, presenting them favorably and associating them with moral values. He is also accused of disseminating extremist material targeting the Jewish community and publishing excerpts from "Cărticica șefului de cuib" (The Little Book of the Nest Leader) by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, interpreted as promoting Legionary ideology. The case file also includes an episode involving a video filmed at the Romanian Athenaeum, where a mechanical device allegedly performed a Legionary salute in front of a bust of Mihai Eminescu, and Rapcea's participation in neo-Legionary commemorative gatherings. Regarding antisemitism, investigators claim Rapcea published a video in April 2026 that allegedly contained...

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The prosecutor is misinterpreting the evidence and, exceeding the procedural framework, makes value judgments intended to artificially cover the lack of evidence regarding the subjective aspect (guilt-intent) of the offenses charged against the defendant. We draw attention that the multitude of sophisms disguised as legal reasoning cannot constitute evidence in the case, as the means of proof are strictly and limitatively regulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure.