“The building on 11 Ion Mincu St, where Curtea Veche Publishing House has functioned for the past 10 years, was abusively seized on Saturday morning (17th July). Around 6am, the protection company Civis Security arrived and blocked the gates of the building with chains and locks, obstructing any access to the firm’s computers, documents and legal papers. On Monday, the Police Precinct no.2 took note of the false papers and documents by which the alleged new owner and seizer claimed property of the building, and cancelled the security clearance for the Civis Security firm. Under these circumstances, the legal course would have been that the employees and owner of the Publishing House be allowed and granted access inside the building on 11 Ion Mincu street. Nevertheless, a group of 15 men sent by Schalli Alexandru – the heir who has no legal paper, right or ruling of a court of law – blocked once more – without any legal basis! – the access inside the building.

Presently, the employees of the Curtea Veche Publishing House have no access inside the building; therefore, the firm’s activity is forcedly shut down for the fifth day in a row.

Curtea Veche Publishing has been operating with legal papers and contracts in this building for over 10 years, and lately has been pushed in the middle of a legal conflict between the former owner of the building that donated the building legally, by an authentic and recognized as legal document to the Romanian State, and the Bucharest Mayor’s Office from whom she is now trying to claim it back through her heir, Alexandru Schalli. Nevertheless, until the present day, the lawsuit hasn’t been closed, no definitive and irrevocable ruling has been awarded to either parts. More than this, the tenants of this building, who had bought the house from the Romanian State in accordance to the 112/2005 law, are currently representing in a Bucharest Court of Law a legal suit demanding to be given the right to stay in the 11 Ion Mincu St. House for the next 5 years.

There is no Judging or ruling order by which we be forced to stop our activities in the 11 Ion Mincu St., or by which we’d be compelled to leave the premises of the building. In the year’s 2010 Romania, all court orders should be carried out by the bailiffs of the Law Court and not by criminal organizations.

It is obvious to anyone that we are the victims of an abuse, and right now we turn to each and every author and collaborator and appeal to them for their support in our efforts to overcome these difficult times and days. It is unpardonable that in the era past 2010 such an event be happening right in the middle of the State’s Capital! Such an abuse may irrevocably disturb any cultural activity – already failed by the lack of interest from the local and central authorities.

This long chain of abuses must be stopped here! The longer the legal solution is delayed, the bigger the risk of losing important pieces in the publishing house’s and state’s cultural patrimony gets: important documents, unique manuscripts, computers holding essential information, databases etc.
We kindly thank those who have already joined our cause and we invite all of you to share your opinions on the unthinkable abuse that we’re being submitted to.”
Iren Arsene, General Manager Curtea Veche Publishing

-end of press release-

For more information please contact:
Maria Desmirean, PR Executive Curtea Veche Publishing, tel: 0744353646, email: maria.desmirean@curteaveche.ro
Elia Cazan, Marketing Manager Curtea Veche Publishing, tel: 0745208104, email: elia.cazan@curteaveche.ro