The Wood Mafia: What lies hidden behind the attacks in the forests of Bucovina
In the middle of last month, an extremely serious incident in a forest in Bucovina became breaking news on TV and was mentioned in the foreign press. An environmental activist and two journalists who were filming a documentary about illegal logging were attacked by a group who included foresters from the Dealu Negru forest district.
One of the journalists was hit so hard he lost consciousness, and the activist, Tiberiu Boșutar, was beaten and humiliated by being stripped naked and threatened with an axe.
It was the latest in a long line of attacks by the local wood mafia on people who try to investigate illegal logging. Bucovina is increasingly becoming a region where the clans involved in forestry are above the law and the authorities do nothing to stop the phenomenon.
Shortly after the attack, we went to Bucovina to find out what the men who lashed out so aggressively at the journalists and environmental activists had to hide.
Warning: you may find some of these images upsetting.
This video has English subtitles.
