Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu, former Romanian PM Petre Roman, Virgil Măgureanu, Adrian Sârbu, and Miron Cozma have been sent to trial in the „Mineriad of June 13-15, 1990” case, for crimes against humanity.
The case has been forwarded to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
This is not the first time this case has reached the court. It happened in June 2017, but in December 2020, the High Court decided to return the case to the Military Prosecutor's Office for a complete reconstruction of the investigation.
Accusations and Defendants
The Romanian Public Ministry now specifies that the prosecutor in charge has ordered the trial for crimes against humanity of the defendants:
- Ion Iliescu - at the time of the events, President of the Provisional Council of National Unity and elected President of Romania,
- Petre Roman - at the time of the events, Prime Minister of the provisional Government of Romania,
- Gelu Voican Voiculescu - at the time of the events, Deputy Prime Minister of the provisional Government of Romania,
- Virgil Măgureanu - at the time of the events, Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service,
- Adrian Sârbu - at the time of the events, advisor to the Prime Minister of the provisional Government,
- Miron Cozma - at the time of the events, union leader,
- General (ret.) Vasile Dobrinoiu - at the time of the events, commander of the Higher Military Officers School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
- Colonel (ret.) Petre Peter - at the time of the events, commander of Military Unit 0575 Măgurele, belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
How the Mineriad was Orchestrated
Prosecutors also present the criminal acts for which they are accused:
"In June 1990, the highest decision-makers in the Romanian state at that time - Ion Iliescu, Petre Roman, Gelu-Voican Voiculescu, aided by other individuals close to power or supporting it, including Virgil Măgureanu - Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, Adrian Sârbu - the Prime Minister's advisor, launched a repression against the civilian population in the capital, resulting in the killing of 4 people, the violation of 2 people, physical and/or psychological harm to over 1300 people, and the persecution through illegal deprivation of liberty of over 1,200 people."
The Public Ministry also recalls the context of those times when, starting from April 22, 1990, a demonstration took place in University Square that lasted for several weeks.
The demonstration was an opposition to the newly established power in Romania after the 1989 Revolution, with the protesters verbally requesting, through statements and other forms of protest, a break from the recently replaced communist regime in December 1989, the promotion of individuals without a party activist past, the establishment of a free television station, and other democratic demands.
"In this context, Ion Iliescu, Petre Roman, Gelu-Voican Voiculescu, Virgil Măgureanu, and other individuals from the state leadership or the National Salvation Front launched an attack against the protesters physically present in University Square, which was essentially a pretext designed to mask the repressive action against individuals who had previously participated in these demonstrations, especially opinion leaders, as well as against anyone who displayed any form of opposition or was associated with categories that, in their view, could potentially oppose, especially students, intellectuals, or individuals expressing affinity towards Western values," prosecutors accuse.
Communication and Manipulation
Investigators also mention the significant role played by "public, manipulative, insidious communication regarding the danger posed by the protesters to democratic values, the implementation of which the new power was 'handling'."
The implementation of this extensive attack on the protesters required the involvement of "an impressive number of people." Some acted "knowingly of this attack," while others "without knowledge of the attack's existence, as a result of the manipulation to which they were subjected by the individuals orchestrating the attack."
Systemic Criminal Group
The defendants are accused of "forming a systemic, heterogeneous political, administrative, military, and civilian criminal group, within which a large number of people were involved, each contributing different natures and contents to acts produced on an impressive scale."
In this criminal framework, it is stated that the individuals who physically carried out the criminal acts held a lower position in the group's hierarchy.
"The conception and orchestration of the commission of the crimes fell to the political leadership of the Romanian state at that time, through the mentioned individuals," prosecutors emphasize.
In the criminal plan, Iliescu, Petre Roman, Voiculescu, and Măgureanu played key roles, but "the manner in which they chose to implement it was through other non-participating individuals."
How Repression was Carried Out during the 1990 Mineriad
"The defendants implemented the repressive action against the protesters in University Square in Bucharest. In this attack, illegally, forces from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, the Romanian Intelligence Service, as well as over ten thousand miners and other workers from several areas of the country were involved."
The generalized and systematic attack resulted in:
1. the shooting deaths of 4 people;
2. the rape of two individuals;
3. physical or psychological harm to a total of 1311 individuals;
4. the illegal deprivation of the fundamental right to liberty and security and the restriction of this right on political grounds, affecting a total of 1211 individuals.
The repressive action took place on the morning of June 13, 1990, when over 200 people were picked up and transported to Military Unit 0575 Măgurele of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where they were detained until the afternoon of the same day, when they were allowed to leave after a brief investigation.
Simultaneously, there was an unauthorized forced entry into the headquarters of the Institute of Architecture and the University of Bucharest, with several offices being searched, and the individuals present being evacuated through acts of violence.
How Miners Became Law Enforcement Forces
Workers from the Heavy Machinery Enterprise Bucharest were brought in and displayed violent behavior, physically assaulting individuals in the vicinity of the Institute of Architecture, after which they occupied University Square together with law enforcement forces to prevent the return of protesters.
The actions taken by the state authorities triggered a violent response from the opposition, resulting in the burning of the headquarters of the Bucharest Police, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, TVR, and SRI.
The law enforcement forces used war ammunition, and in these circumstances, four people were fatally shot.
The authorities' repression continued on June 14 and 15, 1990, through a systematic attack carried out together with miners and workers from several counties in the country, who had become a veritable law enforcement force, parallel to the recognized and legally organized forces.
In this context, miners brought to Bucharest devastated the headquarters of newly established or re-established political parties after the December 1989 Revolution and in opposition, the homes of key opposition leaders, independent press publications, and educational institutions.
Additionally, they assaulted Bucharest residents under the pretext that they were linked to the demonstrations in University Square.