The following is based on a communication written by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts to the Government of Romania on 25 February 2026. The communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the Government time to reply. As of the time of writing, no response has been received. If a response is received, it will be posted on the Special Procedures communications database.
Since the communication was sent, the Special Rapporteur has received information indicating that that Ms. Chiriac continues to receive vague responses to her formal environmental petitions and the police officer responsible for harassing her has not yet been held to account. Additionally, during a recent public consultation on the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Florești General Urban Plan (Plan Urbanistic General), the Director of the competent Environmental Agency reportedly cut off Ms. Chiriac’s microphone and prevented her from properly participating.
Ms. Chiriac’s role as an environmental human rights defender has also been recognised in an official communication issued by Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention.
Read the full communicationThis is a shorter version of the communication.
BACKGROUND
Topic: continued harassment, acts of intimidation and threats against environmental human rights defender, Ms. Alina Chiriac in Ciurila, Cluj County.
Ms. Alina Chiriac is an environmental human rights defender who has advocated for environmental protection in different regions of Romania for more than 16 years. She has publicly opposed and initiated strategic litigation against ‘Ciurila PUG’, an urban planning scheme which proposes to clear land in the Făget Forest area, including the EU protected Natura 2000 site. Through active citizen participation, she continues to raise public awareness on environmental violations in the Ciurila area.
ALLEGATIONS
Since 2022, Ms. Chiriac has filed a series of petitions with local authorities, illustrating environmental risks posed by the ‘Ciurila PUG’ urban planning scheme and the planned A3 highway exit.
On 23 March 2022, Ms. Chiriac was assaulted and threatened by a neighbor in Pruniș village after submitting a request at Ciurila Mayor’s Office for a public debate on the ‘Ciurila PUG’ scheme. Following the assault, she filed a complaint with police. On 18 April 2022, a police officer interviewed Ms. Chiriac and informed her that it was being recorded, in the presence of her lawyer. During the interview, the officer reportedly harassed and fined her for not having established her residence in Ciurila. This fine was subsequently annulled by Turda Court. On 20 April 2022, the suspect in the criminal investigation was interviewed by the same police officer. This interview was also recorded. The suspect reportedly admitted to having committed the assault, that Ms. Chiriac was submitting too many petitions and that ‘she should stop.’
On 12 May 2022, Ms. Chiriac requested access to her recorded interview. On 10 June 2022, Turda Prosecutor’s Office informed her that no recorded footage could be identified. The criminal investigation was dismissed.
On 20 July 2022, Ms. Chiriac filed a disciplinary complaint against the police officer that interviewed her on 18 April 2022 for unprofessional conduct and inappropriate and intimidating behavior, to the Cluj County Police Inspectorate (IPJ).
On 4 August 2022, Ms. Chiriac received a response stating that the Cluj County Police Inspectorate had not been able to identify violations of the Police Officer Statute.
On 6 August 2022, the police officer reportedly arrived in her village, questioned her neighbors about her presence there, lifestyle and civic activity, and told them that she was being ‘monitored’ by the authorities. As a result, neighbors asked the human rights defender to stop submitting complaints to the local authorities in connection with the environmental violations in their community.
On 29 June 2023, the police officer reportedly monitored Ms. Chiriac’s residence in Pruniș, followed her car and then stopped her. The officer fined her for a missing reflective triangle and undeclared scratch on her car.
On 30 June 2023, during a public debate on ‘Ciurila PUG’, involving various public authorities, Ms. Chiriac was verbally attacked and prevented from presenting her arguments and requests for the protection of the Făget Natura 2000 site and surrounding areas.
On 27 July 2023, Ms. Chiriac filed a petition with the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) detailing evidence of a prolonged pattern of intimidation and harassment and requesting protection measures. The National Anticorruption Directorate considered that the complaint was within the competence of Turda Prosecutor’s Office. Her complaint was sent to Turda Prosecutor’s Office for criminal investigation despite Ms. Chiriac’s concern about their impartiality in dealing with previous complaints.
On 20 February 2024, Ms. Chiriac received a fine for a Facebook post in which she contested the actions of local authorities in Ciurila. Specifically, the police accused Ms. Chiriac and the NGOs she is involved with of damaging the reputation of the Romanian police and fined her for contravention of article 2, point 1 of Law 61/1991. On 14 April 2025, the fine was definitively annulled by the Bucharest Tribunal.
In January 2025, Ms. Chiriac was notified that an investigation had been opened and was summoned for interview following the referral of her complaint to Turda Prosecutor’s Office in 2023. On 17 June 2025, Turda Prosecutor’s Office informed her of their decision not to prosecute.
On 18 December 2025, the Second Administrative and Fiscal Division of the Bucharest Tribunal ordered the suspension of ‘Ciurila PUG’ on the basis that the relevant authorities had failed to adequately assess its environmental impact. Ms. Chiriac initiated this case in 2024 through an NGO, which was filed against various authorities at local and county level. Since the ruling, Ms. Chiriac has reportedly faced an escalation in online harassment and threats of physical harm and legal action, including from local officials.
CONCERNS
In the communication, we express serious concern that these alleged threats, acts of intimidation, harassment and attacks are part of a wider context in which those who have similarly challenged the legality of urban planning schemes like ‘Ciurila PUG’ in the area are silenced. We renew our concern for the continued harassment, acts of intimidation and threats against Ms. Chiriac, which put her safety at risk, and urge immediate action by your Excellency’s Government to follow up on the allegations and ensure her immediate and long-term safety. The prolonged pattern of harassment experienced by Ms. Chiriac appears to be directly related to her civic engagement in defense of environmental rights and to the exercise of her right to freedom of expression.
