The Bucharest Court of Appeal on Friday ruled jail sentences for extremists Zoltan Szocs and Istvan Beke, two of the leaders of a Hungarian extremist movement in Romania called Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement - HVIM, reports local Agerpres.

They got less than one year in prison each in the case in which they were accused of planning to detonate an explosive device in Targu Secuiesc, in central Romania, during the country’s National Day celebrations in 2015.

Zoltan Szocs got a sentence of ten months and eight days while Beke Istvan was sentenced to 11 months and six days in prison. However, the court’s decision is not final and can be appealed. Moreover, the two shouldn't do the time, as they've already spent time in preventive and house arrest.

Romania’s Directorate for Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) sent Zoltan Szocs and Istvan Beke to court in May last year.

Romania celebrates its National Day on December 1. During the 2015 celebrations, members of HVIM extremist movement allegedly tried to detonate an improvised explosive device in Targu Secuiesc.

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