SRI declassifies the Revolution files

All files preserved in the archives of the Romanian Intelligence Service regarding the 1989 Revolution have been made public

Mihai Pelin, 23.12.2022, 14:00

33 years since the anti-communist revolution, the Romanian Intelligence
Service (SRI) has declassified all documents concerning the events of 1989. 13
volumes with copies of archive pages, correspondence, reports and notifications
compiled by the Securitate, the communist secret police, are included in the
archive. One of the volumes comprises messages sent by the Securitate to the National
Television Station, one of the focal points of the revolution. In one such
message, Securitate officers expressed support for ousting Ceaușescu. The
message never reached the public however, but Securitate officers expressed
readiness to come in person to the radio and TV public broadcasters to support
this move.

SRI Director Eduard Hellvig recalls that, unfortunately, millions of
Romanians still want the truth about the events of 1989 in order to close once
and for all one of the darkest chapters in Romanian history. In turn, president
Klaus Iohannis said that failing to bring to serve justice for the crimes of
the Revolution remains a vulnerability of our society that further fuels pain
and frustration. This summer, the Revolution investigation, whereby former
president Ion Iliescu, former deputy Prime Minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu and
former General Iosif Rus, the head of the Military Aviation at the time, stand
accused of crimes against humanity, was sent back to the Supreme Court. At
first the case was registered at the Supreme Court in 2019, but judges referred
it back to the Military Prosecutor’s Office for correcting several issues in
the indictment. Military prosecutors say Ion Iliescu’s inner circle acted
skillfully and effectively to take over the political and military power reins
in December 1989. Iliescu reportedly misled the public constantly, repeatedly
and systematically.

A far-reaching nationwide and carefully planned military
action of unprecedented scope designed to misinform the audiences was carried
out across Romania, prosecutors say. This led to generating and amplifying
terrorism psychosis, which eventually brought many people to their graves.
Romania’s entire military force was allegedly at the whim of the National
Salvation Front (FSN) Council, a provisional authority that subsequently grew
into a political party, led by Ion Iliescu. In May 1990, Iliescu was elected
president of Romania. He secured another two terms, over 1992-1996 and
2000-2004. Over the years, FSN evolved into PDSR, and then PSD, which is a part
of the current ruling coalition. (VP)