4. Declarations of those who were investigated in a abusive way by the authorities: 56-68

The undersigned Ş. C. N., with domicile in Romania, Bucharest, declare the followings:
I started to attend the yoga courses of this school led by the yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru 6 years ago. I did this because of the quality people I found here: full of good sense, helpful and open. I had wished to start the yoga practice for another 6 years before I did, but I couldn’t because of my parents, who have read the lies about it in the local press.
I had known yogis and yoga teachers long before I started the yoga practice myself. I’ve seen what kind of people they are before I decided to start it myself. In all these 6 years since I did this I’ve never seen anything that would confirm what the mass media say. There is no group sex, drugs or other such nonsense!
During these 6 years I had to be careful to whom I would speak about this yoga course, because often people have completely chanced their attitude towards me. I also had to hide this in front of my family because of the absurd pressure they could have put upon me.
I love my family very much, I communicate with them, and we have always great time together except this: the yoga course. But I am 28 years old, I am completely sane and I willingly and freely chose to practice yoga!
I was very ill before coming to this yoga course. Suffering from the TBC disease lying on a hospital bed I almost saw the death with my own eyes. In these 6 years I developed my vitality very much and I became healthy, trusting and optimistic: a strong person – through yoga!
I believe these lines will be read by intelligent people who will correctly appreciate the situation.
Thank you!
March 26, 2004

 

I, undersigned, S. C., declare the following facts:
On 18/03/2004, at 9:00 in the morning, I was in the building situated on the street Veseliei, nr.64, Ferentari district, in Bucharest, when I heard steps on the roof above the room’s window. I looked out the window and I saw a troop of masked people, that  in the next moment, broke into the house in a very violent way, breaking the window.
I realized they were gendarmes and they had weapons. They did not show any search warrant. They started to scream, to break the doors, even if some of us wanted to open his/her room  willingly. They threw everybody that was found in  the house on the ground. They did not allow us to speak to one another. We had not the permission to ask for a lawyer and we were locked into the room for about 5 hours even if nobody told us the reason why we were restrainted.
My mobile phone was confiscated, my money, my pictures, my classical music CD’s, my electronic equipment were taken without myself or my representative being there at the moment of the search. They were extremely violent, inducing me a state of panick, as I have never lived until now.
They took me out of the room after they broke the door and they drew me out, pulling my hair, pushing me outside the room, pushing me down the floor, keeping all the time the gun pointed to my head. For few hours I was continuously shaking not knowing why the gendarmes behave in that way with me.
After few hours, when the gendarmes, who had entered the house saw they had not found what they expected to find in the house, they declared that they were told that in the house they would find armed people, a lot of weapons and drugs, not at all women: ”very beautiful and peaceful women”, and they were be very surprised.
I was led into gendarme’s van without being informed why I was arrested,why I was taken from the building where I would be taken and how long I was to be kept there. At the Prosecutor’s office I was kept for 6 hours, I was forced to make a declaration, I wasn’t allowed to call the lawyer, being threatened that I was going to be kept there untill I would write the statement.
I was confronted with a very traumatic situation that scared me very much and prevented me from sleeping for days and nights after this.
I consider that my right to defense was abusively violated. The fact that I am practicing Yoga led to all these social discriminations.
Data:  21.03.04

 

The undersigned M. S., age 54, from Hunedoara, I state the following facts:
4 of my 5 children are practicing Yoga together with me
I am a yoga student for 8 years by now
during these years we were subjected to the denials created by mass-media due to wich I suffered in my marital life
I was disregarded in the society for practicing yoga
in the press and television they say about us yogis that we are schizophrenics, paranoids, sexually obsessed,paramilitary organization,drug,weapon and flesh dealers.
during a TV show,a priest,member of the Romanian Orthodox Church,stated that the church doesn’t recognize us as christians.
By all the actions made against us,they violated severely the human rights,the right for an immage,the right for free opinion.
Due to this fact,I ask for your help and protection, for me and my children, because in Romania these rights are frequently violated.
25.03.2004

 

The undersigned T. T., with the dwelling place in Iasi, I declare the followings:
Thursday morning, on the date of 18-th of March 2004, I was in the house on Peleaga Street No. 5, sleeping in the guests’ room, and I have been abruptly awaken by a voice – gendarmes’ roars with their machine-guns pointed towards me ready for shooting; one of them pushed me with his machine-gun, forcing me to lay on the floor, face down, and with the hands at the back. I couldn’t belive my eyes that all that was happening was true; it was like in a nightmare or in a movie with a commando of gendarmes, all masked, breaking in forcedly as if some terrorists were living there. Then followed the extremly unconfortable situation of being a “hostage” guarded together with other 14 women gathered there.
The situation lasted for about 10 hours, during which the whole building was searched. Among us there was also a girl – Agnes – a tourist from Hungaria, who supported the same treatment. After 10 hours of staying in cold, with the door and window open, suffering from hunger and thirst till around 6:30 p.m. when we were allowed to bring some food and water; at the end of the search we were forced to get into the police van and we were taken to the Prosecutor’s Office where we were forced once again to give our declarations in the absence of a lawyer under the threat that our state of being a hostage will be prolonged for another 24 hours. I mention that during the search my notebook with yoga lectures, a notebook containing my personal notes, addresses, phone numbers and all my identification cards were confiscated.
I willingly declare all these,
today, 19.03.2004

 

The undersigned T. V. , declare that:
– I am unpleased by the way the public opinion was influenced through the tendentious way that were presented the informations refering to MISA on the main romanian TV channels.
This mode of presenting violates the following human rights:
– the right for an image
– the right to intimacy (private life)
– the right not to be exposed to public disregard.
28.03.2004

The undersigned T. A. C., resident in Bucharest, I state the following:
I practice yoga by M.I.S.A. since 1998.During this time I had several misunderstandings with my parents,friends and other known persons,because of the intentionately harming afirmations brought to this yoga course from Romania.Because of the wrong and the untrue ideas exposed in the media(press and T.V.) people with which I got in contact through years,in the moment that they discovered my spiritual orientation and the fact that I practice yoga in M.I.S.A.,they changed suddenly their attitude,becoming sceptic,suspicious and especially unsure of my own capacity of decision.
So,through intentionately repeating of the same accusations,calomnies and unproved facts,by which the M.I.S.A.yoga course was blamed succesively,it affected the public opinion,making it create a false immage of the spiritual activities of M.I.S.A.
Starting yoga courses from high-school (presently being a student) I found myself for several times in the situation of denying or hiding,when practicing the postures of Hatha-yoga,or meditations,because of my colleagues would have seen me,their attitude would be influenced.
Fact that actually happened with the teachers and I was treated by them with disrespect on this reason,which in a country that wants itself a part of European Union,is unacceptable.
26.03.2004

 

I, the undersigned, Ţ. M., with the residence in Bucharest, regarding the extremely traumatizing events I was involved on the 18.03.2004, declare the following facts:
I was in the building on Veseliei street, nr.64, when, at around 8:45 – 9:00 in the morning, through one of windows of the upstairs corridor, from the roof of the house many “masked” men from the Gendarmerie brutally broke in  (breaking the windows,with  menacing screams, etc.) armed with guns, automatic pistols, very large knives, weapons (with a long barrel, resembling a riffle). In the moment they broke in I was with my friend, Octavia Căpîlnean halfway on the access staircase from the ground floor to the first floor, next to a metallic bookcase. We both knelt down, smoothly, without any sudden movement. Two gendarmes descended the stairs to us, shouting not to move. I asked, “ok, but what is going on?” They shouted “Shut up! Hands on your head! We’ll shoot your brains out!” and one of them remained next to us, pointing his gun to my head. After a few moments-while, in the house, the terrified screaming of my other colleagues blended with the threatening and full of obscene words shoutings of the gendarmes – we were pushed upstairs toward the corridor, where they forced us to lay down on our belly, with our hands on the back of our heads. While we were lying down, they took our mobile phones, and broke the doors of our wardrobes and of the rooms that were locked, although I repeatedly assured them that we have keys that we want to give them. Anytime one of them was passing near us, they were kicking me with their boots and slapped me down. Some of them had their guns pointed at us, -those lying on the floor-and were continuously threatening us that they are going “to spread our brains over the floor” if we move.
After a period of time (about 1h – 1h30′) they led us to two rooms: the boys in one, the girls in an other, on the condition that we are going “to behave” and not talk to each other. From this room, we were going, one by one to a third room, having our identity cards with us. Here, under the supervision of a gendarme, while a man was filming and a woman was writing down our identity cards data, I had a short discussion with a man that presented himself as a “prosecutor”. The discussion, a short one, was amiable and to our question if we are accused of something the answer was that we are not accused of anything and that, after we will have been taken to Prosecutor’s office  for declarations, we will be free to go.
While these interrogations took place, in the house, the relationship between the gendarmes and us relaxed a little. So, we were allowed, under strict supervision, to go in the kitchen for water or food, or to go to the toilet. The gendarmes took off their masks, even gave up a part of their weapons seeing that we were very peaceful. I noticed they were amazed that they hadn’t found drug or weapons trafficants but peaceful people who were sleeping in their beds, and even more, “in separate rooms, boys from girls” (as some of them said, wondering about it!). Actually, they (the gendarmes) apologized for the extremely harsh manner they acted in the beginning, saying they were informed that they were  going to find drug trafficants and  armed guards in the house, and that they should expect at a riposte with fire guns.
I have to mention that: the calm discussions ended anytime we were asking for our mobile phones or requested a lawyer. The refuse was absolute, and associated with threatens.
Some of the gendarmes were wandering through the other rooms-not the 2 we were in-without being accompanied by any of the inhabitants of the house, and at a certain moment some people dressed as “civilians” appeared and went through the house.
I was not taken to the Prosecutor’s office, being chosen by the prosecutor to stay, together with two other colleagues– Ovidiu Buruiană and Eugen Rusu – as witnesses to the search.
As for this search, I have to mention:
The search was conducted simultaneously in many rooms; so, although we were 3 witnesses in 3 different rooms, I personally saw that exactly in those moments three men dressed as civilians were searching the personal objects of those found in the house. The confiscated items were not properly written in the official report, for example the video tapes, CD’s, magazines, books, were not normally written, money were written only as sums, without denomination and series, jewelry, money and electronic equipment were taken from the bedrooms and mixed with those from the offices.
Even more, some gendarmes had gone through all the rooms from the house, performing searches before the prosecutor Delcea accompanied by the witnesses did so.
The search ended late in the night, after 22:00, and every access way was sealed, although there were persons that could have guarded the house and persons whose personal and even very private things remained in the house.
19.03.2004

 

The undersigned V. C., with domicile in Romania, declare the followings:
I have practiced yoga for 10 years. The results of my yoga practice are a much better health and more self-confidence.
I was an only child. I was ill very often and had to take lots of medicines. I started to practice yoga because I wished very much to be healthy. I began the yoga practice in 1995 when I was 23 years old and after a short while I was healthy again.
I had lots of problems with my parents who wanted to keep me under their control. They read in the newspapers that during the yoga courses people do prostitution; what I was doing were bodily postures for a better health. Thus the Police followed and threatened me for 2 years.
Although I was already 23 years old I was once obliged by the Police Office no. 8 Bucharest to give a statement that I will not come in Bucharest for the next 5 years. In 1998 a chief from that Police office said that I will be molested if I refuse to write the declaration that I wouldn’t be allowed to come to Bucharest. So I was not allowed to come to visit friends, because my parents live in Tg. Jiu, another Romanian town. I forgot then the ID card in the Police station and the Police gave it back only 2 months later and not to me, but to my father.
Because my parents wanted me to give up the yoga course (due to the things they read in the newspapers), they intended to declare me crazy, although we had visited a psychiatrist who said I was psychically absolutely normal. Seven years ago they sent an emergency service car to my workplace, got me forcefully into that car and took me to Psychic Hospital in Craiova (another Romanian town). The next day I was seen by a doctor who said I was absolutely normal and I was no mental case. So the parents did no longer have the right to decide for me. That emergency car had done the 100 km way illegitimately.
Furthermore, after leaving the natal town our of terror and fed up with followings, my parents went to a psychiatrist in my native town and had her give a FALSE certificate writing there that I would have some psychic problems, but in the respective day I was gone in another town.
I also told this entire story in 1999 to the Police in Bucharest.
Consequently my rights as a free person have repeatedly been disregarded.
March 25, 2004

 

The undersigned C. V., resident in Moldova Republic, declare the followings: on the 18th of March 2004, 9 o’clock, I was in the house at Sergent Turturică str., no. 133, Bucharest, sector 5, when I heard a loud noise.
Two (2) masked persons entered the room by hitting the door with their feet, broke the door, window, although they were not locked, shouted at me, threatened me with guns, dragged me to the floor although there were pieces of glass from the broken, cast me to the ground. They threatened me pointing the guns at me.
They ordered me to give them my cell phone; they prevented me from talking and from touching my personal things. When I asked what was happening and why I was threatened they shouted at me, hurt me using ugly words and forced me to shut up.
In next minutes some other masked persons entered and forced the girls to get into the room. The girls were wearing no shoes but they had to step on pieces of glass. One of the girls was pushed through the door’s window, which was already broken; she screamed because of the pain and fell on the pieces of glass. They forced all of us to sit on the floor, which was full of pieces of glass. We were ordered not to talk to one another and not to ask the masked persons any question.
We were obliged to stay like this for a long time. Meanwhile the masked persons were fumbling through our personal things. We could not see what they were doing. After we were hold this way, without any explanation, a person came and checked out our personal things.
This person didn’t say his name and the reason for that search. He ordered that during the search I should be the only one to sit at the table where my belongings were being searched.
Many personal things of mine were retained: the therapeutic herbs with which I was curing myself and which I needed very much, visit cards and pieces of paper on which I had noted phone numbers, personal documents as the driving license, the passport, the ID, the Yoga course card, yang spiral card, student card, transport card and others.
While being held without having the permission to talk with one another, in different rooms they were doing hurting jokes about us. They asked us questions about our personal lives and our intimate relationships; the camouflaged persons were looking through our personal things like notebooks and purses; they played with the things they found in the room, like our dildos, asking us how we use them and making hurting jokes about us.
During the day I was not allowed to approach the window in order to breathe fresh air. Many times I got sick and I lied myself on the floor. I repeatedly asked for some water and they asked for money to go and buy us food and water. Only late at night I was allowed to approach the window with a gendarme by me. He asked me where I live, what I do in Romania and invited me to his place to spend the night with him.
After checking out everybody’s personal things, we were gathered in a room. A person came and told us we had to sign. I didn’t understand what exactly we were asked to sign. I asked the permission to read those papers word by word in order to know what was written on them. They told me that it would take too long and that what was written there didn’t concern me. They didn’t give me those papers. That person was very angry and hurried. He gave the papers to one of the girls, waited for 1 or 2 minutes and then took them back, saying it would take too long, it wouldn’t concern us, we read too slowly and so on. He said they would read for us only the page concerning the search of our personal belongings.
My words “I don’t sign anything unless I read every single word” were not taken into consideration. They said these were simple formalities and we had to finish them as soon as possible.
During the day they told us we would go to the Police station to give statements. They also said this procedure usually takes very long and it would be better for us to sign them quickly.
At approximately 22 o’clock we were crowded in a car and taken under inappropriate conditions in a building where we were interrogated. I was told I would be interrogated as a witness so I wouldn’t need a lawyer. I was forced to swear I would speak the truth. They asked me many questions; some of them were very personal ones; but not all of them were written in my statement. Then they gave me back my cell phone and my ID and I left.
I intended to go to the Moldova Republic the very next day and I told that to the interrogator. He said there was nothing he could do for me and I should write a petition to the general prosecutor.
Date: 19.03.2004

 

The undersigned Z. I. located in Bucharest Sergeant Turturica nr.133 sector 5, I declare following:
In 18.03.04, I was paying a visit at Veseliei street no 64 and I participated against my will at the following shoching events: About 9 o’clock a.m. I was sleeping alone in a room at the mentioned address. I heard screaming, noises and I wake up totally frightened, especially because my colleague came to me from the room next door, frightened and summary dressed (she succeeded to take a houserobe from the room where she was sleeping)” What is happening? What are those noises?”,” The Police forces are here “ she succeed to tell me.
The Police man next door was screaming “ Hands up, on the floor!” I was lying on the bed and my colleague was sited on the other bed. I realized that the Policeman was screaming at somebody from the other room. The clothes she was wearing like she was a thief or something .
She was pushed outside hooked my colleague. After I see all those things happening, I voluntarily get up from my bed with my hands on my forehead and go outside. The Police man pushed me with the face covered on the floor near the other persons. We were all lying on the floor, very closed to the wall and one the each other.
The masked Police man were between us and I still remember the fear and terror that I felt when he was stepping with the boots very closed to my face and nose. From time to time he was heating my legs, making those gesture to appear like it was by chance. I get more frightened when they screamed “ If somebody say a word or move I will shout “. In all my body I was feeling fear and terror. I did not understand what was happening. We were not permitted to ask what is happening and we were not told any explanation.
In all that time the policemen were talking to each other “ Take the cell phones from them and do not let them talk to each other, take anything cassette, CDs, take everything “. They were continuously looking to us, not to make any move.
We were permitted to go the bathroom “ If you want to go to the toilette just say but you will be permanently watched”.
Laying on the floor like thieves a man was video recording for the Prosecutor “ All that we are recording here will not appear on television, that are only proves for the prosecution”

One of the colleagues asked why we are retained and treated in such manner. The answer was “ Shout up, shout up, you know very well “ from the masked policeman. They were not able to give us any concrete answer.

With the gun pointed at us we were asked to go upstairs in a separate room from men. Frightened and terrorized because of this violent attitude I entered the room where other colleagues were laying on the floor with the hand on the back of the head were retained.

I could observe the shock on their faces and another girl crying because of the fear and because she was feeling sick. Because of that she was carried to the doctor “ There is a doctor for the people that are feeling bad “ was saying one of the policeman.

Repeatedly, I and repeatedly, I we requested or kindly asked to know what it is reason for what we were retained and why we are treated in such abusive manner. The answer was” We were told that the bodyguards of Bivolaru are here, armed, and they are drug dealers”.

They took from us all the identification papers (identity card, passport) and after that we entered one by one in a room. We were asked for the identity information. They wrote and they were videorecording in the presence of a prosecutor. I was taken to the room of the retained persons and we were permitted to drink water and to eat something without talking and watched by the police forces.

I was at my period and because of the abusive manner that we were treated I was not capable to eat and I was trembling all the time stress and terror. One of the persons retained asked for the right to a lawyer. The lawyer was not coming .I repeatedly request to talk to the prosecutor. About one hour the prosecutor come and told us that we will be carried to give declaration but he did not tell us for what reason.

Around 1 o’clock in the afternoon all the persons in  the house from Veseliei street were taken to the car of the Police forces. At that time I observed that objects are taken: CDs-s, computers, money, videotapes. The reason was  that they are authorized to do that but we have not see any paper. In the Police car we were watched by 2 masked policemen that followed us. At the Parchet we were waiting on the hall. All the hall was full of police who were guard us not to escape from there. After 2 hours off waiting women who said that she is a prosecutor called me. She told me that I must give a declaration. I strongly refused because I was shocked and not capable. She insisted “ Just say something, who is forcing you not to speak?  “ She permitted to go on the hall in the same conditions but “after you recover you will give us a declaration, do not think that you will get away with that ”

I waited for another 4 hours and another prosecutor interrogated me. I refused to give declaration and in the end I received my identity card. We were taken to the house from Veseliei Street in the same abusive manner of pressure. When we arrived in the front of the house we were free.

The house was sealed and I could not get my personal belongings.

19.03.04

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