U.S. Ambassador to Romania Hans Klemm says the country’s legal system is being “dismantled” by legislators in order to protect their own interests.

Klem said Monday in a speech to University of Bucharest law students and faculty that judicial officials are being “increasingly targeted politically, and in the media for court decisions and public opinions that political leaders see as endangering their private interests.”

Klem said the result will be less accountability, more criminality, and less international cooperation in the fight against global threats, such as cybercrime, human trafficking, corruption, money laundering, and terrorism.

The Social Democrat government has made several changes to Romania’s legal code to decriminalize corruption since taking power in 2017.

Government crackdowns on civilian protests against the changes have led to accusations of police brutality.
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