Janice R. Andrews
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has upheld the conviction of former Romanian Member of the European Parliament Adrian Severin. In 2017, Severin was sentenced to four years in prison for influence-peddling and bribery, following a sting operation by The Sunday Times in 2011.
Undercover journalists, posing as lobbyists, offered Severin an annual sum of €100,000 to sway amendments in the European Parliament, an offer he accepted. This led to a Romanian investigation and subsequent conviction.
Severin challenged his conviction at the ECHR, claiming his rights were violated, particularly regarding the use of recordings made by the British journalists. However, the court unanimously rejected his appeal, finding that:
- The recordings were lawfully admitted as evidence under Romanian law.
- Severin’s defense had full access to the evidence.
- He was given ample opportunity to challenge the evidence during the trial.
The ECHR stated, “The criminal procedure provided the complainant with adequate guarantees for exercising his defense rights,” concluding that the trial was conducted fairly. This decision marks the final stage in Severin’s appeal process against his conviction.
