Demonstrations have been held across Romania to voice support for a former top Romanian prosecutor who has been banned from leaving the country or talking to journalists as part of a probe.
Some 1,000 people turned out in Bucharest on March 30, shouting messages of support for Laura Codruta Koevesi, a former anticorruption prosecutor.
Rallies were also held in other cities including Cluj, Sibiu, and Timisoara.
On March 28, the Romanian body that investigates prosecutors and magistrates announced the restrictions on Koevesi, who’s been charged with heading a criminal group. She denies wrongdoing.
Koevesi is considered a front-runner to become Europe's leading corruption-fighting official, despite opposition from Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party.
As Romania's chief anticorruption official, she successfully prosecuted hundreds of lawmakers for graft. The government engineered her dismissal last year, claiming mismanagement.
EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani on March 29 expressed concern about the situation, adding that parliament "stands by its candidate" to head the European Prosecutor's Office, a new office that will fight fraud.
