Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) has ruled that former President Traian Basescu should pay a RON 600 (some EUR 135) fine for some discriminating comments he made back in 2010.

ICCJ has thus dismissed the appeal filed by Basescu and confirmed the decision ruled by the Bucharest Court of Appeal in June 2014. The Court's decision is final, reports local Agerpres.

In November 2010, Traian Basescu said during an official visit in Slovenia that many of the Roma people in Romania made a living by stealing, but the Bucharest authorities couldn't keep them from moving freely in the European Union.

"We have another problem that needs to be told, and that makes the Nomad Roma's integration difficult - very few of them want to work. Traditionally, many of them live off stealing," Basescu said at that time, during a press conference.

In February 2014, the National Council for Combating Discrimination decided to fine Basescu with RON 600, saying that the President's statements were discriminatory and violated the Roma people's right to dignity.

Traian Basescu was Romania's President for ten years, between 2004 and 2014.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com