The rule of law does not work in Romania, in a society governed by the rule of law, the truth cannot be dependent on luck and personality - stated Attila Markó, former state secretary for minorities of the Romanian Hungarian Democratic Union (RMDSZ), former member of the restitution committee in Bucharest, at his press conference held on Monday in György Sepsiszent.

Attila Markó returned to Transylvania after eight and a half years, after he was acquitted of the charges in the last of the five cases against him. The politician, who has been living in Hungary for the past few years, appeared before the journalists on Monday in the company of Sepsiszentgyörgy mayor Antal Árpád and Kovászna county council chairman Tamás Sándor.

"We always knew that Attila Markó was innocent," Árpád Antal announced, calling the meeting a "historic moment." He added that they knew this 15 years ago, when the Mikó trial challenging the restitution of the Székely Mikó College in Sepsiszentgyörgy began, as well as when Attila Markó was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in the first trial.

"Eight and a half years had to pass before the Romanian state declared that Attila Markó was innocent"

- pointed out the superior of Sepsiszentgyörgyi.

Sándor Tamás said:

"Romania is a showcase country" and Attila Markó is "an innocent victim of the Romanian deep state".

He reminded that before joining NATO and the European Union, Romania took serious steps in the field of restitution following the principle of restitutio in integrum (restoration to the previous state). During this period, more than 110 church properties, numerous community properties, and significant forest areas were returned, he recalled.

After joining the EU in 2007, the process stopped immediately, and they "looked for a strong symbolic case" to counterbalance it.

said Sándor Tamás, referring to the Mikó college. He added: There are symbolic buildings throughout Transylvania - the Batthyaneum in Gyulafehérvár, the financial palace in Nagyvárad, or the main building of the Catholic school in Marosvásárhely - whose restitution was prevented through litigation, and forest restitution has also stopped, the restitution of extensive forest areas returned to noble families and public estates is being handled by the anti-corruption prosecutor's office (DNA) examines.

Romania complied with the restitution demands until it was admitted to the international organizations, after which it reversed the process through the courts, and Attila Markó is also a victim of this

said Sándor Tamás.

Attila Markó said: the past 15 years - of which he spent 8.5 years in exile in Hungary - caused a big break in his and his wife's life. He thanked his friends for their support, and thanked Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén for his protection, as well as Réka Brendus, head of the National Policy State Secretariat, for his support, for keeping their spirits up and "managing their small matters".

He recalled that full court proceedings were initiated against him in five compensation cases and he won without a lawyer. The situation of the Romanian judiciary also contributed to his victory, he said, since according to him, the Romanian secret service dictated the courts until 2018, but after that, "judges who decide according to the law and not according to orders appeared."

As he said, his work in Budapest also "tied him home", he helped the Hungarian government with "background materials" in matters related to Transylvania. He said about his plans: he is undertaking community service, and he believed that the community politicization and service of the lawyer Imre Mikó or the bishop Áron Márton should be "rediscovered". He recalled: he left Transylvania in November 2014, but the warrant against him was lifted in January 2021, and in the next period he will request his rehabilitation and the lifting of the asset freeze imposed on his assets.

On April 27, the Romanian Supreme Court acquitted Attila Markó of the charges of the anti-corruption prosecution in the last trial. The DNA accused him of abusing his position as a member of the compensation committee of the restitution authority and contributing to the damage of the Romanian state. The former RMDSZ official was acquitted in the other four similar corruption cases, so all the court cases against him were closed.

He returned home to Transylvania on April 28, and the next day he spoke at the 16th congress of the RMDSZ in Timișoara.

MTI