Strasbourg Court: Romania poorly investigated violent crackdown on June 1990 demonstrations

The investigation conducted by Romanian authorities into the crackdown on demonstrations in Bucharest in June 1990 was defective and inadequate, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg recently decided. The court also ruled that the Romanian state should pay damages of EUR 30,000 and EUR 15,000 respectively to two of the victims of the events in June 1990, Diana Mocanu and Marin Stoica, and cover their trial expenses, which amount to EUR 12,000. Mrs Mocanu’s husband was killed during the violent crackdown on demonstrations in Bucharest in June 1990, while Marin Stoica was arrested and ill-treated by the police. Stoica made a complaint to the authorities in 2001, but his case was dismissed by the prosecutors of Romania’s Supreme Court in 2011, while the investigation into Diana Mocanu’s husband death hasn’t been finalized to this day. “The Court found that the authorities responsible for the investigation had not taken all the measures which could have led to the identification and punishment of those responsible for the violent events and that the applicants (Ms Mocanu and Mr Stoica – e.n.) had not had the benefit of an effective investigation for the purposes of the Convention,” reads the decision of the Court. “While acknowledging that the case was indisputably complex, the Court considered that the importance of the political stakes for Romanian society should have led the Romanian authorities to deal with the case promptly and without delay in order to avoid any appearance of collusion in or tolerance of unlawful acts,” the Court added. On June 13, 1990 the security forces intervened against demonstrators who were occupying University Square in Bucharest and other areas of the capital. This resulted in several civilian casualties. Diana Mocanu’s husband was killed by a shot fired from the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior, according to data presented to the court in Strasbourg. The next day, thousands of workers, particularly miners from several industrial regions around the country, were transported by train to Bucharest to take part in the crackdown on the demonstrators. Eleven trains to Bucharest were laid on. The miners had been informed that they were to assist the police in restoring law and order in Bucharest. They were armed with axes, chains, cudgels and metal cables. The violent events of June 13 and 14, 1990 resulted in more than 1,000 victims, while the headquarters of several political parties and associations were vandalized. The investigations conducted by Romanian authorities in this case haven’t been finalized. Romania’s former president Ion Iliescu is among those investigated for the events in June 1990. The decision of the court can be found here. editor@romania-insider.com