General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar handed over to President Klaus Iohannis the request for criminal prosecution in the Revolution dossier in connection with crimes against humanity against Ion Iliescu, Petre Roman and Gelu Voican Voiculescu, PÎCCJ reported on Monday.
“The Prosecutor General of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice addressed to the President of Romania a request for the exercise of the constitutional and legal prerogatives regarding the request for criminal prosecution in connection with the commission of the offense against humanity, according to Article 439 para. ) a, g, i and k Criminal Code with the application of Article 5 of the Criminal Code to: Iliescu Ion, member and president of the Council of the National Salvation Front (dated December 22, 1989), de facto exerted executive power and the Central Legislature, behaving as a Government until the Decree-Law No. 2 of December 27, 1989, when the president of the council was given the role of a head of state, and the legislative powers of the council were separated from those of the executive, requiring authorization between December 22 and 27, 1989. Roman Petre, member of the Council of the National Salvation Front, dated December 22, 1989, officially named Prim Minister of the Government of Romania by Decree no. 1 of 26 December 1989 requiring authorization for the period 22 to 31 December 1989; Gelu Voican Voiculescu, member of the National Salvation Front Council of December 22, 1989, officially appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Romanian Government by Decree no. 5 of December 28, 1989, which requires authorization for the period 22 – 31 December 1989 “, the communiqué of the General Prosecutor’s Office states.
On December 18, 2017, the Military Prosecutor’s Office announced that following the filing of evidence in the “Revolution” dossier, the investigators’ conclusion was that in December 1989 there was no power vacuum.
Military prosecutor Marian Lazar said at a press conference that there had been a military diversion since the evening of December 22, 1989, which was the main cause of numerous deaths, injuries and destructions.
Additionally, prosecutors have identified, including by testimonial evidence, the source of panic sound (issued on December 21, 1989, during Nicolae Ceausescu’s speech), which contributed alongside other elements to the disorganization of the Palace Square and triggering protests in Bucharest.
At the same time, prosecutors argued that there were pressures exerted on the commanders of UM 01417 Targoviste, the place where the Ceausescu couple was, but also orders from the top of the military hierarchy regarding the physical elimination of the presidential couple.
“It is undoubtedly the fact that the pressure existed, manifested itself on several levels, being the main cause of the numerous deaths, bodily injuries and destructions. The administered evidence highlighted the mechanisms of constant misinformation, with particularly serious consequences, launched through TVR, Radio Broadcasting and the military means of communication, thus being created, at national level, the well-known terrorist psychosis, as well as the way in which a series of diversionary military orders were transmitted, with particularly serious consequences. shows that in 1987 the armed forces of Romania imported two types of military firearms sound imitators, namely imitators for infantry weapons of the sound of fire at the barrel of the gun, and imitators of the parachute whistle, as well as a better understanding of the administered evidence.
At the same time, it was clarified the succession of events at UM 01417 Targoviste, the location where the Ceausescu couple was from the afternoon of December 22, 1989. The evidence revealed a constant pressure exerted on the commanders of this unit as well as the existence of orders from the top of the military hierarchy regarding the physical elimination of the Ceausescu couple, “said then prosecutor Marian Lazar. In addition, until the execution of the two, on December 25, 1989, three attempts were made for their physical liquidation.
The investigators stated that there is a clear understanding of the circumstances surrounding the preparation of the emergency hearing of the former president and his wife, the actual trial, the real motivations behind this action and, subsequently, the execution of the Ceausescu spouses.
Former Prime Minister Petre Roman considers it “revolting” and ”extremely surprising” that the General Prosecutor, Augustin Lazar, has asked for a criminal prosecution to be conducted in his case in the Revolution file, arguing that during the period invoked he was in no position to influence military actions.
“First and foremost I have a feeling of revolt and total surprise, because I have absolutely nothing to do with this matter. If there were military actions in those days, in what capacity could I have influenced such military actions? I was a nobody at that time, I did not have any kind of official function, only on December 27, I became Prime Minister of Romania, this is the first point. Second, there were military actions and I was, for example, on the evening of December 21, one of those who survived certain military actions of repression: 39 comrades in the University Square area were killed, and there were also all those military operations in Timisoara, in which I could have lost my life, as How can I be in one way or another correlated with what is said in this criminal prosecution claim? That’s why I say it is totally and altogether revolting and even absurd, unless there’s a great deal of manipulation going on, because I was in no way qualified to get involved in any way with what the military orders were, those that led to the misery, the tragedy of the dead, especially those before December 22 and December 22 1989. I do not see any reference to any criminal investigation regarding those within the military units who gave the orders that led to the military actions. I personally did not have any position. Who was paying attention, in those days, to whom? One of those who participated in the Revolution? I insist and say that this is a demand that I categorically reject and which I consider extremely surprising, not to say very dubious from the point of view of its motivations,” Petre Roman told AGERPRES.
He pointed out that he had no capacity to give orders at that time.
“Do you know how many members the Council of the National Salvation Front there were (…) There were about 37, and anyway, the Council of the National Salvation Front was not in a position at the time to give orders.” The orders were from the institutions – The Ministry of Defense in the first place or the Ministry of the Interior, or what other institutions I do not know. “What was my connection with these institutions? None. What capacity did I have to influence them? Absolutely none,” he said. Petre Roman recalled that he was twice at the Military Prosecutor’s Office and testified. “I spent long hours there and told them what happened. I thought things were perfectly clear from the point of view of my participation, and now I see this demand, which I think is very surprising at best, but in any case misconduct is inappropriate with what I have experienced, never mind what I did in those days, and I’m talking about the period December 21 to December 26, 1989,” the former PM said.
The former prime minister did not want to comment on the fact that the prosecutor’s request also concerns Ion Iliescu and Gelu Voican Voiculescu.
“I have nothing to say about them, in this matter, because when a matter comes to justice every one … here, we are not talking about history. If you want to know what I think about what happened then you can consult a recently published volume called ‘About Passion in Time of Freedom’ in which I tell what I experienced at that time,” said Petre Roman. AGERPRES / (Autor:
