Romanian Yogi Gregorian Bivolaru Acquitted in Sex Offences Trial

The Romanian leader of the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA), Gregorian Bivolaru, tried for sexual perversion, sexual contact with a minor and trafficking of minors, was acquitted Friday by the central-Romanian Sibiu Court, five years after his trial had started.

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According to a press release issued Friday by the Court of Sibiu, Bivolaru was acquitted on one count of repeated sexual perversion, two counts of repeated sexual contact with a minor and two counts of trafficking of minors.

The court ruled to drop charges against Bivolaru on the counts of repeated sexual corruption, sexual contact with a minor and illegally crossing Romanian borders, as the statute of limitations on these charges had expired.

The charges of attempted migrant trafficking and repeated corruption offences brought against two other defendants in this trial were dropped because the statute of limitations also expired.

Bivolaru's case was moved from Bucharest to Sibiu in January 2005, as per the defendant's request.

The court added that appeals against the three defendants' sentences can be filed with the Alba Iulia Court of Appeals, in central Romania.

Bivolaru is also on trial for human trafficking and seven other counts in a case prosecuted by the Cluj Tribunal. The next hearing will take place on June 21. Bivolaru was sent to court in this case by the Department for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), in June 2007.

Gregorian Bivolaru and 20 other members of the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute are on trial for human trafficking, violating copyright laws, indecency and expressing anti-Semitic sentiments.

Romanian prosecutors, gendarmes and police officers started a large-scale action against Bivolaru and his followers in March 2004. Law enforcers searched over twenty Bucharest buildings, where an unauthorized adult video-chat network functioned at the time. Also, Madalina Dumitru was found at one of these locations, the victim in Bivolaru's child sexual abuse case.

In March 2009, The Supreme Court approved an application requesting that Bivolaru's case be moved to Cluj.

Gregorian Bivolaru is now in Sweden, where he was granted political asylum.

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