Ilie Ilascu
Encyclopedia
Ilie Ilaşcu is a Moldova
n-born Romania
n politician, famous for being sentenced to death
by the separatist
Transnistria
n government for alleged involvement in two murders and for actions which have been described as Moldovan state-sponsored terrorism
by Transnistrian government officials.
, Făleşti district, Ilaşcu graduated from the Faculty of Economic Studies of the Agricultural Institute in Chişinău. He is married to Nina and they have two daughters, Tatiana (b. February 28, 1980) and Olga (b. July 1, 1984). Ilie Ilaşcu worked as chief economist at "Dnestr" Research Institute in Tiraspol
. Ilaşcu became known for his opposition against Moldovan Communist Party politics regarding Moldovan language
, openly advocating the usage of Latin script and recognition of Moldovan-Romanian identity, as well as giving the status of official language for Moldovan.
His opponents nicknamed him "glavnîi extremist" (chief extremist) instead of "glavnîi economist" (chief economist). In January 1989 he was one of the founders of a Moldovan association in Tiraspol. On July 9, 1989 he was arrested for the first time, being released with excuses after few days. Also in 1989 he was dismissed from his job, but was able to regain his position after appealing to the prosecutor office. On September 5, 1989 as he spoke at a meeting in Tiraspol in favour of the language laws passed by the Moldovan parliament
, he was taken away by policemen, who needed to protect him from the crowd of political opponents.
Starting with 1989, he was the president of the Tiraspol branch of the Moldovan Popular Front, which advocated the union of Moldova and Romania.
He is a leader of the Democratic Forum of Romanians in Moldova
. In 2010, Ilaşcu announced he will support Mihai Ghimpu
and the Liberal Party
.
, members of the "Ilaşcu group" (Ilaşcu together with Andrei Ivanţoc
, Alexandru Leşco
and Tudor Petrov Popa) were arrested by the breakaway Transnistria
n government and charged with the murder of two separatist officials.
On December 9, 1993, the Supreme Court of Transnistria found him guilty of a number of offences defined in the Criminal Code of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, including incitement to commit an offence against national security, organisation of activities with the aim of committing extremely dangerous offences against the State, murdering a representative of the State with the aim of spreading terror, premeditated murder, unlawfully requisitioning means of transport, deliberate destruction of another's property and illegal or unauthorised use of ammunition or explosives.
Ilaşcu was sentenced to be shot and the other three defendants were sentenced to hard labour for terms between 12 and 15 years. They had no right of appeal.
During the trial, the defendants were kept in reinforced iron cages, as they were considered "extremely dangerous". This decision was contested by various international human rights organizations, which doubted the fairness of the trial and alleged that they were prosecuted only because they were members of the Tiraspol
branch of the Popular Front, a Moldovan party which favours a union with Romania. For years he was kept in solitary confinement
without access to family and medical assistance.
While in the Transnistrian prison, Ilaşcu was elected twice in the Moldovan Parliament
on the lists of the Democratic Christian Popular Front
, in 1994
and 1998 election
.
In October 2000, he received Romanian citizenship, after which he renounced his Moldovan citizenship. In the same year, he was elected
to the Senate of Romania
for the Greater Romania Party
, representing Bacău County
. Reelected in 2004
, Ilaşcu served as a member of the Senate until 2008.
and following a verdict of the European Court for Human Rights, where he sued both Russia
and Moldova
.
The other three members of his group have been released after the timeline of his sentence was over:
Russian authorities denied any involvement.
judged in 2004 that the authorities have infringed the human rights (as defined by the European Convention on Human Rights
) of Ilie Ilaşcu and the other three people arrested by the Transnistrian government. The ruling came after a legal process that began in 1999. The court ruled that the Supreme Court of the PMR was not an actual court with any jurisdiction over the detainees, and its findings that led to their conviction were not considered. Under the court's decision, Russia was to pay Ilaşcu 187,000 euro
s. Alexandru Tănase
was a lawyer for Ilaşcu.
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
n-born Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n politician, famous for being sentenced to death
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
by the separatist
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
n government for alleged involvement in two murders and for actions which have been described as Moldovan state-sponsored terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
by Transnistrian government officials.
Political activity
Born in TaxobeniTaxobeni
Taxobeni is a commune in Făleşti district, Moldova. It is composed of three villages: Hrubna Nouă, Taxobeni and Vrăneşti....
, Făleşti district, Ilaşcu graduated from the Faculty of Economic Studies of the Agricultural Institute in Chişinău. He is married to Nina and they have two daughters, Tatiana (b. February 28, 1980) and Olga (b. July 1, 1984). Ilie Ilaşcu worked as chief economist at "Dnestr" Research Institute in Tiraspol
Tiraspol
Tiraspol is the second largest city in Moldova and is the capital and administrative centre of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River...
. Ilaşcu became known for his opposition against Moldovan Communist Party politics regarding Moldovan language
Moldovan language
Moldovan is one of the names of the Romanian language as spoken in the Republic of Moldova, where it is official. The spoken language of Moldova is closer to the dialects of Romanian spoken in northeastern Romania, and the two countries share the same literary standard...
, openly advocating the usage of Latin script and recognition of Moldovan-Romanian identity, as well as giving the status of official language for Moldovan.
His opponents nicknamed him "glavnîi extremist" (chief extremist) instead of "glavnîi economist" (chief economist). In January 1989 he was one of the founders of a Moldovan association in Tiraspol. On July 9, 1989 he was arrested for the first time, being released with excuses after few days. Also in 1989 he was dismissed from his job, but was able to regain his position after appealing to the prosecutor office. On September 5, 1989 as he spoke at a meeting in Tiraspol in favour of the language laws passed by the Moldovan parliament
Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is a unicameral assembly with 101 seats. Its members are elected by popular vote every 4 years. The parliament then elects a president, who functions as the head of state...
, he was taken away by policemen, who needed to protect him from the crowd of political opponents.
Starting with 1989, he was the president of the Tiraspol branch of the Moldovan Popular Front, which advocated the union of Moldova and Romania.
He is a leader of the Democratic Forum of Romanians in Moldova
Democratic Forum of Romanians in Moldova
The Democratic Forum of Romanians in Moldova is a civic movement, which brings together over 120 NGOs, several leading public organizations of Moldova and a whole number of academicians, writers, journalists. In 2006, the organization claimed 100,000 members....
. In 2010, Ilaşcu announced he will support Mihai Ghimpu
Mihai Ghimpu
Mihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu (born 19 November 1951, Coloniţa, Moldova, is a Moldovan politician. He was Speaker of Parliament from 28 August 2009 to 30 December 2010 and Acting President from 11 September 2009 until 28 December 2010.-Family:...
and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Moldova)
The Liberal Party is a conservative-liberal political party in Moldova.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu. His nephew Dorin Chirtoacă is its vice-president.-History:...
.
The Ilaşcu group trial
On June 2, 1992, he and three more ethnic RomaniansRomanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, members of the "Ilaşcu group" (Ilaşcu together with Andrei Ivanţoc
Andrei Ivantoc
Andrei Ivanţoc is a republic of Moldovan politician. He was among the four leaders of the Tiraspol branch of the pro-Romanian Christian-Democratic People's Party of Moldova who were accused of terrorism by the authorities of the breakaway Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic .- Biography...
, Alexandru Leşco
Alexandru Leşco
Alexandru Leşco is a Moldovan activist, famous for being sentenced by the separatist Transnistrian government for actions which have been described as Moldovan state-sponsored terrorism by Transnistrian government officials...
and Tudor Petrov Popa) were arrested by the breakaway Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
n government and charged with the murder of two separatist officials.
Ilaşcu was sentenced to be shot and the other three defendants were sentenced to hard labour for terms between 12 and 15 years. They had no right of appeal.
During the trial, the defendants were kept in reinforced iron cages, as they were considered "extremely dangerous". This decision was contested by various international human rights organizations, which doubted the fairness of the trial and alleged that they were prosecuted only because they were members of the Tiraspol
Tiraspol
Tiraspol is the second largest city in Moldova and is the capital and administrative centre of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River...
branch of the Popular Front, a Moldovan party which favours a union with Romania. For years he was kept in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
without access to family and medical assistance.
While in the Transnistrian prison, Ilaşcu was elected twice in the Moldovan Parliament
Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is a unicameral assembly with 101 seats. Its members are elected by popular vote every 4 years. The parliament then elects a president, who functions as the head of state...
on the lists of the Democratic Christian Popular Front
Christian-Democratic People's Party (Moldova)
The Christian Democratic People's Party is a Christian democratic political party in Moldova. In the last legislative elections on March 6, 2005, the party won 9.1% of the popular vote and 11 out of 101 seats. Led by Iurie Roşca, the CDPP and the liberal PNL are the only major political parties in...
, in 1994
Moldovan parliamentary election, 1994
An early parliamentary election took place in Moldova on February 27, 1994.- Background :Beginning with 1994, the Parliament functions on a permanent basis, with the quality of parliamentarian being incompatible with any other remunerated office, except for teaching and scientific activities...
and 1998 election
Moldovan parliamentary election, 1998
A parliamentary election took place in Moldova on March 22, 1998.- Results :At the legislative elections on March 22, 1998, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, which was re-legalized in 1994 after being banned in 1991, gained 40 of the 101 places in the Moldovan Parliament,Seats...
.
In October 2000, he received Romanian citizenship, after which he renounced his Moldovan citizenship. In the same year, he was elected
Romanian legislative election, 2000
Legislative elections where be held in Romania on November 26, 2000, together with the Presidential election. The Greater Romania Party made big gains, as did the PDSR, which became the ruling party. The formerly governing Romanian Democratic Convention lost all its seats and was shortly...
to the Senate of Romania
Senate of Romania
The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian...
for the Greater Romania Party
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
, representing Bacău County
Bacau County
Bacău is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with its capital city at Bacău. It has one commune, Ghimeş-Făget, in Transylvania.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 706,623 and the population density was 113/km²....
. Reelected in 2004
Romanian legislative election, 2004
The Romanian legislative election of 2004 was held on 28 November 2004. 137 seats in the Senate of Romania and 314 seats in the Chamber of Deputies were up for election.The 2004 legislative election was held simultaneously with the presidential election...
, Ilaşcu served as a member of the Senate until 2008.
Release
Ilaşcu was eventually released on May 5, 2001, two years after he filed an application with the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
and following a verdict of the European Court for Human Rights, where he sued both Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
.
The other three members of his group have been released after the timeline of his sentence was over:
- Andrei IvanţocAndrei IvantocAndrei Ivanţoc is a republic of Moldovan politician. He was among the four leaders of the Tiraspol branch of the pro-Romanian Christian-Democratic People's Party of Moldova who were accused of terrorism by the authorities of the breakaway Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic .- Biography...
- June 2, 2007 - Alexandru LeşcoAlexandru LeşcoAlexandru Leşco is a Moldovan activist, famous for being sentenced by the separatist Transnistrian government for actions which have been described as Moldovan state-sponsored terrorism by Transnistrian government officials...
- June 2, 2004 - Tudor Petrov Popa - June 4, 2007
Russian authorities denied any involvement.
Ilaşcu and Others v. Moldova and Russia
The European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
judged in 2004 that the authorities have infringed the human rights (as defined by the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
) of Ilie Ilaşcu and the other three people arrested by the Transnistrian government. The ruling came after a legal process that began in 1999. The court ruled that the Supreme Court of the PMR was not an actual court with any jurisdiction over the detainees, and its findings that led to their conviction were not considered. Under the court's decision, Russia was to pay Ilaşcu 187,000 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s. Alexandru Tănase
Alexandru Tănase
Alexandru Tănase is a Moldovan politician. He is the current Justice Minister in Vlad Filat Cabinet.-References:...
was a lawyer for Ilaşcu.