Nine Romanian police officers have been accused of torture or complicity in torture in their treatment of two people after they arrested them for failing to wear facemasks.
The claims refer to an incident on September 1 in Bucharest when officers allegedly punished two people they had arrested by beating one and abandoning both on the outskirts of the capital city.
Romanian prosecutors connected to the Bucharest Tribunal launched criminal proceedings into the matter on Wednesday.
The nine officers - from Section 16 of the Bucharest police - are accused of crimes of deprivation of liberty and torture.
Eight of the suspects were detained by authorities, while the ninth was also held under judicial control .