The High Court asks prosecutors to finalize the Colectiv 2 case in six months

The High Court of Cassation and Justice decided on March 17, 2026, that prosecutors must finalize case 184/P/2019, known as 'Colectiv 2', within six months. This ruling was made after many relatives of the victims contested the excessive duration of the trial, which has been ongoing for ten years. The case refers to the young people who died due to infections contracted in hospitals in Romania after the Colectiv fire and the delay in transferring the injured abroad.

The criminal investigation began in 2016, and the case was separated from 'Colectiv 1', where the owners and pyrotechnicians were convicted. Twice closed, the case was reopened in 2025 by the High Court. The case prosecutor, Ioan Șandru, retired, and the case was taken over by another prosecutor. The victims' lawyer argued that the duration of the criminal proceedings had been exceeded, while the Prosecutor's Office maintained that the case is extremely complex. The judge noted that there had been long periods of inactivity, including '8 months without any criminal investigation work.' These delays were also highlighted by the calling of relatives for hearings only after the High Court requested the case.