Following the decision of the Court of Appeals in Bucharest, Miron Cozma, the leader of the Mining Confederation of Romania, was released from prison in July 1998 after being detained for one year and a half (Rompres 10 July 1998; ibid. 15 July 1998). Cozma had been sentenced on 12 June 1998 to 18 months in prison for the illegal possession of firearms but was acquitted of the charges of "undermining state authority and jeopardizing railway traffic" (AP 12 June 1998). Following the sentence, a judicial analyst stated that "the sentence demonstrates there was no judicial evidence to show that Cozma urged the miners to come to the capital and force the prime minister to resign." (ibid.)

According to a 13 January 1997 Rompres report, Cozma was arrested in January 1997 for his alleged involvement in the 1990 and 1991 Jiu Valley miners' riots in Bucharest. The Rompres report quoted Bucharest daily Azi which stated that Cozma's arrest, seven years after the events and in context with the election of a new government in the fall of 1996, was "a sign that coal has been fuelled in the engine of justice." Azi also described Cozma as " the spoilt brat of the Iliescu regime." The Rompres report also quoted Romania Libera as saying that Miron Cozma was "a bragger of the transition period, who has committed almost the whole range of criminal deeds but could not be tried so far ... he has proved to be more immune than a parliamentarian." According to the Rompres report, almost all major newspapers in Romania covered Cosma's arrest, describing it as "natural" but "delayed." The Bucharest riots left six people dead in 1990 and three dead and 300 injured in 1991 (AP 12 June 1998). Prime Minister Petr Roman resigned in the days that followed the 1991 riots (ibid).

Cozma's trial began on 13 April 1997 (Romanian Monitor 15 Apr. 1997). Four hundred witnesses testified, including former president Ion Iliescu, former prime minister Petr Roman, the current foreign minister Adrian Severin and Iosif Boda, former presidential aide to Ion Iliescu (Rompres 10 July 1998; ibid. 30 Sept. 1997; RADOR 20 July 1997).

No reports on comments made by human rights organizations with regard to the trial of Miron Cozma could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Associated Press (AP). 12 June 1998. Mihaela Armaselu. "Court Sentences Controversial Miners' Leader." (NEXIS)

Romanian Monitor [Bucharest]. 15 April 1997. "The Miron Cozma Case Being Tried." [Internet], www.nordest.ro/romanian_monitor/news/15_apr_97_new_e [Accessed: 24 July 1998]

Rador [Bucharest, in English] 20 August 1997. " The President of the Senate, Witness in Miron Cozma's Trial." [Internet], www.hri.org/news/agencies/rador/97-08-20.rador [Accessed: 24 July 1998].

Rompres [Bucharest, in English]. 15 July 1998."Romania: Miners' Leader Cozma to Run for Senate on PMR Ticket." (FBIS-EEU-98-196 16 July 1998/WNC)

_____. 10 July 1998. "Romania: Dailies View Miners' Cozma's Release From Jail." (FBIS-EEU-98-191 13 July 1998/WNC)

_____. 30 September 1997. "Miners' Leader Says Opposition Leader 'Masterminded' 1991 Riots." (BBC Summary 2 Oct. 1997/NEXIS)

_____. 13 January 1997. "Romania: Press Comments on Arrest of Jiu Valley Coal-Miners' Leader." (FBIS-EEU-97-010-A 16 Jan. 1997/WNC)

Amnesty International. 1998. Report 1998.

Electronic Sources: REFWORLD, IRB databases.

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. 1998. Annual Report 1998.