New criminal proceedings launched against ex-President Ion Iliescu

Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu faced new criminal proceedings on Monday related to an outbreak of violence against anti-communist protesters in Bucharest in 1990, Romanian NewsIn news agency reports.

The case accuses Ion Iliescu and the Interior minister of the time, Mihai Chitac, of involvement in the murder of four people who were shot before the Interior Ministry headquarters in Bucharest on June 13, 1990.

June 13 was the beginning of three days of violence that saw miners from across the country arrive in Bucharest to put a bloody end to protests taking place in the Romanian capital against the neo-communist leadership that took power in the 1989 revolution, led by Ion Iliescu.

Iliescu is blamed in a separate case of urging the miners come to Bucharest and supporting the spree of violence known in Romania as “the miners’ crusade”.

The case renewed on Monday was originally initiated and sent to court in 2000, but after three years the High Court of Justice sent it back for further criminal procedures.

Ex-President Iliescu – who now serves as honorary president of the main opposition party, the Social Democrats (PSD) – explained his appeal for miners to come to Bucharest in June 1990 several days ago by saying that police forces were incapable to control the situation sparked by the anti-communist protests.