The 1989 Revolution case file
Investigators of the so-called Revolution Case File say there was no power vacuum in December 1989.
Roxana Vasile, 20.12.2017, 14:14
December 16th marks, at least
symbolically, the start of the fall, in 1989, of the Communist regime in
Romania. Citizens of Timisoara, in western Romania, decided to stand against
the totalitarian regime led by the dictatorial couple Nicolae and Elena
Ceausescu, no matter the consequences.
Having begun as an extremely brave way of challenging
an abusive measure taken by the local authorities, people’s discontent turned
into a rebellion against the system, and in turn triggered clashes and
sacrifices. On December 20th, Timisoara declared itself the first
Romanian city free of Communism. The protests spread fast all across the
country, culminating on December 22nd with the Ceausescus’ attempt
to flee, on board a helicopter, from the roof of the Communist Party’s
headquarters. Terrible days followed, particularly in the capital, but also
across the country, until the 25th of December. In all, more than
1,000 people died and some 3,400 were wounded between the 16th and
the 25th of December 1989. Romania thus became the only country in
the Eastern Bloc where the fall of the regime was a violent one and where the
leaders, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, were executed by a firing squad.
Who shot at us on the 21st and the 22nd?
was the question that turned into the leitmotif of the Romanians who either
fought for freedom in 1989, with the risk of losing their lives, or lost
friends and family back then. Exposing those accountable for the massacre would
provide the much-awaited answer. The Revolution Case File was first classified,
then reopened last year. Army prosecutors are trying to find an answer to this
question, remained unresolved for 28 years, and the truth is starting to come
to light. A Bucharest daily has dubbed as historic breaking news the
investigators’ conclusion, made public early this week. Here is the army
prosecutor Marian Lazar:
We have established the membership of the
political-military command unit that took over full power in Romania, shortly
after the president’s flight. The conclusion is, without any shred of doubt,
that there was no power vacuum in Romania in December 1989. The evidence
presented so far has revealed that the military diversion which started on
December 22nd was the main cause of the many deaths, injuries and
damages reported then. Investigations have revealed the mechanisms used to
constantly misinform the population, launched with the help of the national
television, national radio and the army’s communication channels, which led to
the installation, all across the country, of the well-known terrorist
psychosis.
Investigators have also announced that the source of
the panic sound heard during Nicolae Ceausescu’s public speech on December 21st
has been identified. That sound, alongside other elements, contributed to the
start of protests in Bucharest. Also, the investigation has found that, until
their execution by firing squad, there had been three attempts to kill Nicolae
and Elena Ceausescu.
