The State Secretariat for the recognition of the merits of fighters against the Communist regime established in Romania from 1945 to 1989, an institution subordinated to the Government, started the procedure for the withdrawal of the title of Fighter for the Victory of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 of former president Ion Iliescu.
In a document sent to Asociatia 21 Decembrie, the State Secretariat informs that it has discussed an address submitted by the organization regarding the fulfillment by Ion Iliescu of conditions for obtaining the title of Fighter for the Victory of the 1989 Revolution, noted for special deeds.
According to the document, „the committee unanimously found both the CV on the Internet and the press materials that Ion Iliescu joined the Communist Youth Union in 1944 and the Romanian Communist Party in 1953 where he advanced in his career, becoming Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth Union starting with 1956 and a member of the CC [the Central Committee ] of the PCR [the Romanian Communist Party]”.
„Given that, in 1971, he held the position of secretary of the Central Committee of the PCR, as well as the leadership position held at UTC [Communist Youth Organization ] of the PCR, the committee finds that the conditions required by Article 8 paragraph 2 of Law no. 341/2004 amended by Law 242 are fulfilled. (…) The provisions of the law do not benefit the persons who are proven that in the period 1945 – 1989 held at least a dignity or a leadership position within the governing bodies at local, regional or national level of the PCR, reason for which it unanimously decides to begin the administrative procedure for the annulment of the LRM Certificate,” the cited document further adds.
According to the document, „it was unanimously decided by the members of the commission (…) to send to the Legal Service a copy of the minutes, in order to begin the action for the annulment of the certificate in the administrative court, and following the court ruling of the revocation decision, the transmission of an address to the Service for revolutionaries for the withdrawal of the title”.
Moscow-educated Iliescu was sidelined by Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu and reappeared and took power during the uprising where more than 1,100 were killed and Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were deposed and executed.
Iliescu’s last public appearance was in March 2017 when he appeared at court after he’d been charged for crimes against humanity in the revolution. He denies wrongdoing.
Although he has officially withdrawn from public life, he occasionally makes statements.
He faces the same charges in the June 1990 miners’ rampage where at least six died and more than 1,000 were injured as coal miners randomly beat demonstrators with sticks and pipes.
Iliescu, a former communist, was leader of the National Salvation Front which was established in 1989, which transformed into the Party of Social Democracy in Romania in 1993, and later into the Social Democratic Party, still Romania’s largest party/
He came to power during the revolt and was elected president from 1990 to 1992, and then from 1992 to 1996. His last term was from 2000 to 2004.
Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu ditched by the party he founded 30 years ago
