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1990 ‘Miners’ riot file’, returned to the Prosecutor's Office
The June 13-15, 1990 ‘Miners’ riot file’, in which former President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister Petre Roman and former SRI Director Virgil Magureanu have been sued for crimes against humanity, will return to the Prosecutor’s Office for remaking the investigation, the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court) decided on Wednesday, which found the nullity of the indictment. The decision may be subject to appeal, hotnews.ro reports.
The solution has generated discontent among the civilian parties, who accused the “injustice”.
“We have been struggling for this dysfunctional non-functioning injustice for 29 years, but there are descendants, and this historical file clearly shows that we have gained our freedom with blood, what do I have to do in the society when I cannot benefit from fair trial? This is mockery,” said Marin Stoica, who was beaten in June 1990 until he entered the coma.
In the past two years, the case was in the Preliminary Chamber of the Supreme Court.
Military Prosecutors with the Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Prosecutor’s Office upon the ICCJ completed in June 2017 the investigation into the June 13-15, 1990 ‘Miners’ riot file’ and ordered the file to be brought to court, a file whereby 14 people are prosecuted, among them Ion Iliescu, Petre Roman and Virgil Magureanu.
Ion Iliescu’s attorney, Adrian Georgescu, said on Wednesday, after the ICCJ decision, that this is a natural solution, due to countless irregularities.
“It is a file that was in the Preliminary Chamber for two years. It is a natural solution, the file includes countless irregularities we have notified on, as well as the defendants’ lawyers and the judges. Ion Iliescu will be glad of this solution.(…) I cannot talk about the 29 years, I comment on the 3 years under the leadership of Mr. Lazar,” (Augustin Lazar – former Prosecutor General, our note), Adrian Georgescu said.
He added that Iliescu had a ‘particular’ situation in the file. The prosecutors have utilized a judicial trickery that proved to be a failure when they conducted the criminal investigation of Ion Iliescu. ”
What happened on June 13-15, 1990
On the night of June 12, the authorities clashed with the protesters who have been staying in the University Square for 52 days. That night President Iliescu issued a release calling “all conscious and responsible” forces to intervene against “the extremist groups”.
Troops with the Anti-terrorist Fight Special Unit surrounded the square with Police’s buses, Molotov cocktails and stones were thrown and the Police buses set on fire. Bucharest Police, Interior Minister and SRI’s headquarters have been attacked and also set on fire.
In the evening of June 13, three sets of cars full of miners left from Petrosani to Bucharest, while another train left the next day from Motru train station to the Romanian Capital.
Once they arrived in Bucharest, the miners led by Miron Cozma went to University Square, as Ion Iliescu had asked them to from the Government’s balcony: “I am addressing to you, thanking for your proletarian solidarity answer (…) The miners’ delegation, led by Mr. Cozma, will go to University Square, that we want you to get back.”
In University Square, the miners pretended to readjust the flower saplings destroyed by the protesters’ tents and broke into the Geology Faculty, where they occupied the balcony and devastated the Students League’ HQs. The same happened to the Philology and Maths Faculties, as well as at the Architecture Institute. Numerous professors and students were beaten back then. The miners also devastated the headquarters of the historic Peasant and Liberal parties and occupied the state-owned Romanian TV broadcaster.
All who “were suspected as being intellectuals” were beaten, taken up in patrol wagons and interrogated at Magurele military unit.
International public opinion condemned the events that were covered by TV stations and newspapers all over the world. US State Department also reacted, saying that “the actions authorized by president Iliescu and his Government struck at the heart of Romanian democracy.”
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On the other hand, former President Ion Iliescu’s attorney, Adrian Georgescu, has announced on Wednesday he has submitted a complaint to the Special Department for Investigating Magistrates (SIIJ), requesting checks regarding the way the Revolution File was sent to court by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The lawyer said the Revolution File could have the same path as the Miners’ Riot file, i.e. to be sent back to the Prosecutor’s Office, ziare.com informs. He said the complaint in the Revolution File is about abuse of office.
“I can’t say 100%, but 99% it could be returned. I believe it is the same premise. Noticing the shortages mentioned in the Miners’ Riot file, the prosecutors have tried to present better criminal investigation in the Revolution File. However, they forgot they had criminal investigations ongoing when presenting the document. We’ve notified the Special Department on the way the indictment was made,” Georgescu said.
He added that the complaint does not aim a prosecutor.
The prosecutors with the Military Department with the Prosecutor General’s Office sent the Revolution File to court in April 2019, in which Ion Iliescu, Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus are charged with crimes against humanity, according the an announcement made at the time by former Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar.