ECHR Rules That Romania Must Pay Damages To Several Victims Of The 1989 Revolution

ECHR ruled in favor of the 23 petitioners, victims or close relatives of victims who were wounded or killed during the December 1989 events which led to the fall of the country’s former communist regime, in Bucharest, Slobozia, Targoviste in Resita.

The petitioners complained that Romanian authorities did not conduct an efficient investigation into the events of the Revolution within a reasonable timeframe, thus infringing on Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees legal protection for every individual’s right to live.

According to the ruling, Romania must the 23 petitioners, within the next three months, non-pecuniary damages of EUR15,000 each and the corresponding judicial taxes.

Between 689 and 1,290 people died during the Romanian Revolution of 1989, resulting in the bloodiest overthrowing of an Eastern Block communist regime. The criminal case relating to the deaths is still undergoing at the Supreme Court, after it was closed and reopened several times following the event.