Mihai Gâdea and Adrian Ursu initiated an online petition to bring to the attention of the international bodies the situation the Bodnariu family is experiencing, whose children were taken away by social services.
" In order to inform the Oslo authorities and the international organizations for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of people and children about this, we have decided to initiate an online petition. This will be handed in to His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, to Prime Minister Erna Solberg, to the European Parliament President Martin Schulz, to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and to the President of UNICEF Maleeha Lodhi. I invite you to join this initiative by signing the petition. Let's do justice! "Mihai Gadea wrote on his Facebook page.
Romania Norway together for the Bodnariu children
The Bodnariu family drama, whose children were kidnapped by the Norwegian authorities, raised a wave of emotion, indignation and large protests in Norway, Romania, the USA and in many other places of the world.
In order to inform the Oslo authorities and the international organizations for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of people and children about this, many Romanian citizens have decided to initiate an open a letter.
It will be handed in to His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, to Prime Minister Erna Solberg, to the European Parliament President Martin Schulz, to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and to the President of UNICEF Maleeha Lodhi.
If you have been touched, outraged by this tragedy and want to make yourself heard, if you want the Bodnariu family to take back their children sooner and for such abuses not to occur anymore, you are welcome to join the endeavor by signing this petition .
Your Majesty,
Your Excellency,
We submit this document for your kind attention in all deference, but at the same time with the hope that our message, supported by thousand, tens of thousands of signatures will touch your heart and bring about the happy end that we are all waiting for.
You must have heard about the fully covered story in numerous articles in the international media about the terrible drama which a mixed Romanian Norwegian family is experiencing, namely the Bodinarius.
In November 2015, the Norwegian Authority for Child Protection, together with the local judicial authorities ordered that the Bodnariu family’s five children be placed in foster care, invoking ill-treatment.
Both the moment of tearing the children away from their family’s home – a heartbreaking scene that one could barely help not bursting into tears and rage while watching, as well as the justification of this extremely cynical gesture, exceed reason and are unacceptable in a civilized society governed by laws and feelings.
Existing evidence in this case demonstrates unequivocally that we are faced with a great abuse in violation of fundamental human rights, of children and family rights. The alleged reasons for it have to do with a brutal restriction of religious rights, of the freedom of thought and expression.
This goes against international charters that the Kingdom of Norway has signed and pledged to observe, such as the European Convention on Human Rights or the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Article 8 of the latter clearly states that both parties undertake to observe the child’s rights to preserve his/her identity, including nationality, name ad family relations, such as they recognized by law without any unlawful interference.
Equally important and unfortunately flagrantly violated by the Authority for Child Protection in Norway is the content of Article 2 of the Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the fundamental document of freedom and human dignity "In the exercise of any functions which it will assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the state will observe the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical beliefs.
The Bodnarius case is unfortunately not the only one. There are more and more signals from Romanian families, from Lithuanians and many other nationalities who denounce the exaggerated or even abusive treatment by the authorities who should be charged with effective child protection and not with the violent breakup of families.
This explains the huge wave of revolt sparked both in Romania as well as in Norway, the US and in many European countries, street protests, demonstrations in front of Norway’s embassies, calls for mobilization on social networks, debates and outraged comments in the press.
We call on reason, legality and humanism to end these practices which do not relate to democracy, the rules of civilization, or feelings.
We count on the full support of your Excellency and on the institutional authority that you represent to restore to the Bodnarius and to the other families in the same situation, the right to life and happiness, henceforth ending any abuse.
Mihai Gîdea and Adrian Ursu