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The Trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu was a summary trial held on December 25, 1989 by an Exceptional Military Tribunal created at the request of Council of the National Salvation Front resulting in the death sentence and execution of the Ceaușescus.

Nicolae Ceaușescu refused to recognize the Tribunal, arguing for its lack of constitutional basis and claimed that the revolutionary authorities were part of a Soviet plot.

Arrest

On December 22, during the 1989 Romanian Revolution, Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu left the Central Committee by helicopter toward Snagov, from which they left soon after towards Pitești. The helicopter pilot claimed to be in danger of anti-aircraft fire, so he landed on the Bucharest - Târgoviște road, near Găești. They stopped a car driven by a certain Dr. Nicolae Decă, who took them to Văcăreşti, after which he informed the local authorities that the Ceaușescus were going toward Târgoviște. The Ceaușescus took another car and were arrested by soldiers from a local army garrison near Târgoviște.

Creation of the Tribunal

As the new authorities heard the news of their apprehension from General Andrei Kemenici, the commander of the army unit, they began to discuss what to do with the Ceaușescus. Victor Atanasie Stănculescu and Gelu Voican Voiculescu wanted a quick execution, while Iliescu supported holding a trial first.

During the evening of December 24, Stănculescu sent the secret code "recourse to the method" to Kemenici, referring to the execution of the Ceaușescus. Iliescu then ordered that they should first have trial, but with a predetermined verdict.

Charges

The charges were published in Monitorul Oficial the day after the execution:

• Genocide - over 60,000 victims
• Subversion of state power by organizing armed actions against the people and state power.
• Offense of destruction of public property by destroying and damaging buildings, explosions in cities etc.
• Undermining the national economy.
• Trying to flee the country using funds of over $1 billion deposited in foreign banks

Trial

Ceaușescu defended himself by arguing that the Tribunal was against the Constitution of Romania and that only the Great National Assembly had the power to depose him. He argued that it was a coup d'etat organized by the Soviets. Before the execution, Nicolae Ceaușescu declared, "We could have been shot without having this masquerade!"

Execution

The Ceaușescus were executed by a firing squad consisting of elite paratroop regiment soldiers: Captain Ionel Boeru, Sergeant-Major Georghin Octavian and Dorin-Marian Cirlan, while reportedly hundreds of others also volunteered. The firing squad began shooting as soon as the two were in position against a wall. The firing happened too soon for the film crew covering the events to record it. Before his sentence was carried out, Nicolae Ceaușescu sang "The Internationale" while being led up against the wall. After the shooting, the bodies were covered with canvas. The hasty show trial and the images of the dead Ceaușescus were videotaped and the footage promptly released in numerous western countries. Later that day, it was also shown on Romanian television. The Ceaușescus were the last people to be executed in Romania before the abolition of capital punishment on 7 January 1990

Notes

1. ^ Burakovski, p.273
2. Burakovski, p.272
3. Monitorul Oficial, Anul I, Nr. 3, December 26, 1989
4. Nicolae și Elena Ceaușescu: „Împreună am luptat, să murim împreună!“ Adevărul, 19 December 2009.

References

• Adam Burakovski (2011). Dictatura lui Nicolae Ceaușescu, 1965-1989 - Geniul Carpaților. Polirom. ISBN 978-973-46-1963-4.

• 1989 in Romania
• 1989 in law
• Ceauşescu family
• Trials in Romania
• Trials of political people
• Filmed deaths