On December 22, 1989, as the Ceaușescu regime collapsed, Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were desperately fleeing, trying to escape the fury of the masses. After their presidential helicopter took off from the Central Committee’s rooftop at 12:09 PM, they made several forced stops before ending up in custody at the militia headquarters in Târgoviște.
During their captivity, the Ceaușescus tried to find out who had taken control of the country. According to former militia officer Ion Enache, when Elena Ceaușescu heard Ion Iliescu’s name, she reacted sharply:
“See, Nicu, I told you to finish him back then, but you didn’t believe me.”
A Nation in Chaos
At that time, Romania was gripped by widespread panic over so-called “terrorists” and street battles. The death toll had reached nearly a thousand, and the provisional leadership, formed around the National Salvation Front, was urgently seeking a way to stop the bloodshed.
The Decision to Execute
On December 24, 1989, at the Ministry of National Defense, Ion Iliescu, General Victor Atanasie Stănculescu, Petre Roman, Silviu Brucan, and Gelu Voican Voiculescu decided to carry out the immediate execution of the dictatorial couple.
Former military prosecutor Dan Voinea recalls:
“A decision was made at the Ministry of Defense regarding the physical elimination of the Ceaușescus—between Iliescu, Stănculescu, Roman, Brucan, and Voican Voiculescu.”
The Trial and Execution
On December 25, 1989, the trial took place at the military unit in Târgoviște. Gelu Voican Voiculescu acknowledged the extraordinary nature of the procedure:
“The tribunal that sentenced them was called an exceptional military tribunal. That says it all. The trial had major flaws, as the judges, lawyers, and everyone involved were both members of the court and victims of Ceaușescu.”
The Ceaușescus were sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity. The execution squad consisted of three paratroopers from Boteni. One of them, Dorin Cârlan, recounted:
“We didn’t have the courage. No one did. General Stănculescu said: ‘Tie them up, take them, and put them against the wall! Him first, then her.’”
The execution took place at 2:50 PM, and the footage was broadcast on Romanian Television shortly before midnight, officially ending the Ceaușescu era and confirming Ion Iliescu as Romania’s new leader.
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