I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. Thousands of workers were bused into the square under threat of being fired. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. At the beginning, Ceauescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: The accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. PROSECUTOR: So far, they have always claimed that we have built this country, we have paid our debts, but with this they bled the country to death and have hoarded enough money to ensure their escape. They carried out acts that are incompatible with human dignity and social thinking; they acted in a despotic and criminal way; they destroyed the people whose leaders they claimed to be. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. This occurs when the official line becomes so ridiculous that ordinary people dont even realize they are falling out of step with the Party Line. Another question to Ceauescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. PROSECUTOR: So far, they have always claimed that we have built this country, we have paid our debts, but with this they bled the country to death and have hoarded enough money to ensure their escape. Every honest citizen who worked hard here until 22 December knows that we do not have medicines, that you two have killed children and other people in this way, that there is nothing to eat, no heating, no electricity. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. In addition, the law forbids the IRS from using its normal enforcement tools to collect unpaid penalties. Transcript of the closed trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu, https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Transcript_of_the_closed_trial_of_Nicolae_and_Elena_Ceauescu&oldid=6470911, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. In response, Ceauescu raised his right hand in hopes of silencing the crowd; his stunned expression remains one of the defining moments of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. What happened was that he was misled by Centralized Information. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. "Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/video-ceausescus-last-speech-december-1989 [accessed March 4, 2023], Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. CEAUSESCU: No, we will not sign. I just couldnt convince myself to do it., He is not alone. The following is a transscript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. As a simple citizen, I tell you the following: For the first time I guaranteed that every peasant received 200 kilograms of wheat per person, not per family, and that he is entitled to more. It should be stated once and for all that this military court is absolutely legal and that the former positions of the two Ceausescus are no longer valid. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? Description One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. I ask the court, as the plaintiff, to take note that proof has been furnished for all these points, that the two have committed the offenses mentioned. No one was shot. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. It doesnt happen as one big wave. Workers, military units and other popular organizations were bused to the capitol and given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. You have acted in a very irresponsible manner; you led the country to the verge of ruin and you will be convicted on the basis of the points contained in the bill of indictment. The process usually follows this path. What should he ask us? This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. Have you understood them? In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. PROSECUTOR: Well, Mr. Ceauescus hated son, Nicu, a one-time candidate to follow his father as the countrys leader, was said to have been arrested in the city of Sibiu as he was trying to take hostages. Forget the pontifications from the myriad talking heads on TV and radio. Ceauescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. The War of the Words for $3.99, Understanding the crisis of the early 21st century in terms of information corruption in the financial, security and political spheres This is not possible. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. . Answer this question! It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. How can one say something like this? I do not recognize the court. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. A little noticed article in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. Ceausescu refused to answer. What defamation, what provocations! PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu is death sentence. 23 December 1989: Nicolae Ceauescus overthrow follows a week of carnage in which thousands of protesters against his regime were killed in cold blood. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu should be punished in a really legal trial. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. An important historical square located on Victoriei Street. You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. CEAUSESCU: As a citizen, as a simple citizen, I tell you the following: At no point was there such an upswing, so much construction, so much consolidation in the Romanian provinces. The palaces belong to the people. Answer this question! The prosecutor quotes Ceauescu, Ceauescu's program. ELENA CEAUESCU: I will not answer. Nicolae Ceausescu - Last Speech, Trial and Execution - History Channel (ENG subtitled) ac agencija 258 subscribers Subscribe 743 Save 111K views 3 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? CEAUSESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. , the former US ambassador to Syria, has effectively accused the Obama administration of abandoning genuinely pro-American rebels in Syria thereby allowing the ascendance of al-Qaeda. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? The details are known. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. Furnish proof! For example, there isa silent falling away among American allies. I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17U.S.C. The crimes against the people grew year by year. Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty meters back from the front of the Central Committee building. How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument. Who pays them? Rebranding Christianity for $3.99, or why the truth shall make you free PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Such impudence! Are they the people, or are you paying them? The defendant has not recognized us. You have information about it. Their son, Nicu, was shown on television under arrest. Sections in italic type are from the austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUSESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. In fact, his speech on August 21, 1968 in defiance of the military actions taken by Moscow and a few of her allies in Czechoslovakia roused quite a considerable amount of support for not only himself, but for the Patriot Guards as well. Print. President Nicolae Ceauescu was overthrown yesterday and became a fugitive in the country he has ruled for 24 years as remnants of his personal troops fought bitter last battles with regular soldiers and demonstrators in the streets of the Romanian capital. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. I do not recognize this court. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. It is a lie that I made the people starve. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. CEAUSESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. In the uprising by people against Ceausescu during this speech and in subsequent days 1,058 people lost there lives. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). This shows again how false the charges are. KGB technicians and agents made one of the most brilliant moves and played a recording of whistles and protests through installed speakers in the square. All the world should know what is going on here. Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu know the aforementioned facts -- that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. Are they the people, or are you paying them? PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? What do you say as a citizen? We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Esteemed chairman of the court, today we have to pass a verdict on the defendants Nicolae Ceauescu and Elena Ceauescu who have committed the following offenses: crimes against the people. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? "Stenographic transcript of meeting of the Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party," August 17, 1968, History . CEAUSESCU: No, no. The slippage that attracts the most attention of course, is discontent within the United States military. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: One momentCeauescu was in total control of Romania, determined to crush his enemies. I would not call for the death sentence, but it would be incomprehensible for the Romanian people to have to go on suffering this great misery and not to have it ended by sentencing the two Ceauescus to death. This gang will be destroyed. "This is the final battle," he said. No truth, no survival. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. And the next moment he was lying in the dust. The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceausescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. The mighty Law of the Land is exposed as all bark and no bite; a fine they cant enforce. His 1936 mugshot at age 18 still haunts the internet. The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. Ford said of his resignation,I was no longer in a position where I felt I could defend the American policy. Sooner or later inability to credit yoga or videos produced in Los Angeles as actual factors becomes more and more widespread. PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. All their property will be impounded. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu should be punished in a really legal trial. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. Last modified on Sun 29 Mar 2020 07.01 EDT President Nicolae Ceauescu was overthrown yesterday and became a fugitive in the country he has ruled for 24 years as remnants of his personal troops. I will not answer you putschists, Ceausescu says. Watching the "Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech" on the Making the History of 1989 website, a speech which Nikolae Ceausescu made on 21 December 1989, I was curious to see what the disturbance was that so rattled Ceausescu because by the end of the speech it appears a semblance of order had returned. Diane Dimond writes in Real Clear Politicsabout the low level grumbling that risen to detectable levels since the Bergdahl affair. Later reports suggested the couple had been captured. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceausescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. The palaces belong to the people. Thirty years on, will the guilty pay for horror of Ceauescu orphanages? ELENA CEAUESCU: Such impudence! PROSECUTOR: Note: He does not recognize the points mentioned in the bill of indictment. The Rise of Ceausescu Nicolae was a member of the communist youth movement. CEAUSESCU: No one recognizes that. As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. This page was last edited on 8 October 2016, at 23:48. . NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. We have data concerning both of them. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. All the world should know what is going on here. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. The produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. Did you know that you can purchase some of these books and pamphlets by Richard Fernandez and share them with you friends? The recent Bergdahl prisoner swap in which five hardened Taliban terrorists were released from prison is rubbing a lot of the military veterans attending D-Day events the wrong way. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 was a public address by Nicolae Ceauescu, General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party and President of the State Council of Romania, strongly condemning the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. Who are these fanatics? PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. They used to fetch people from orphans' homes or from abroad whom they trained in special institutions to become murderers of their own people. Defendant, if you had no accounts in Switzerland, will you sign a statement confirming that the money that may be in Switzerland should be transferred to the Romanian state, the State Bank. At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we will not sign. [2], Ceauescu appeared on the balcony of the Central Committee building and began as he had in years past, with a speech laden with the usual "wooden language." In one speech, a Romanian politician likened Ceausescu to Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Peter the Great, Abraham Lincoln and other major historical figures. They obstructed the normal process of the economy. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. I am a member and the chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences. The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. A tyrant stops knowing the difference. The day began as it ended with vehement anti-Ceauescu demonstrations. He had been falling for a long time, and proved the last to know. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e tea.uesku]; 26 January 1918 -- 25 December 1989) was a Romanian Communist politician. CEAUSESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. Grandiose plans are announced, pivots are ordered, Red Lines are drawn, all manner of schemes are announced with a maximum of hoopla but everybody ignores it they know the latest fad will pass and the regime will Move On. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No one recognizes that. Everybody should be paid according to his performance. Fuelled by the events taking place in Berlin (the wall had come down just a few weeks before) and the ripple impact of the weakening Iron Curtain, Romanians had taken to the streets in . PROSECUTOR: Esteemed Mr. Chairman, I have been one of those who, as a lawyer, would have liked to oppose the death sentence, because it is inhuman. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. How can one say something like this? This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. Bucharests Broadcasting House was the main source of information yesterday for Romanians about the countrys liberation and the means by which politicians, military officers and dissidents tried to influence the situation. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceauescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. They are speaking about injustice, ineptitude and impeachment. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? A little noticed article in the, notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. Fanatics, whom you are paying. a silent falling away among American allies. No, no, he says. His country passed from traditional monarchy to troubled democracy to royal dictatorship to military control to occupied territory. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. Ceauescu refused to answer. What may happen of course, is that like a frog slowly being boiled in a pot, the process happens so slowly that people arent aware of it themselves. The administrations threats, so dire on paper, are toothless in practice because they actually cant afford to carry out the threat. Storming the Castle at Amazon Kindle for $3.99, why government should get small It gave no further details. Central planning in economics leads to a mismatch in prices and a collapse in the economy while a Central Narrative in politics leads to an increased incidence of involuntary rebellion. ELENA CEAUESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. I have done everything to create a decent and rich life for the people in the country, like in no other country in the world. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. Only a few hours before the Genius of the Carpathians had been in apparently complete command. . Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceauescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceauescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. We are all equal. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? He always claimed to act and speak on behalf of the people, to be a beloved son of the people, but he only tyrannized the people all the time. The produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obamas Impeachment The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not say anything more. What do you think? Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 Annotation One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). Who are these fanatics? Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. No one can deprive me of these functions. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. And so should such reports chill one to the bone. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. For example,the administration recently issued a new list of prisoners to be released from Guantanamo, citing theirpractice of yogaas proof they had reformed. PROSECUTOR: Esteemed Mr. Chairman, I have been one of those who, as a lawyer, would have liked to oppose the death sentence, because it is inhuman. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. The following is a transcript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceauescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. I will not answer anymore. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. They not only killed children, young people and adults in Timisoara and Bucharest; they allowed Securitate members to wear military uniforms to create the impression among the people that the army is against them. The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. But those who shot at the young people were the security men, the terrorists. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. Making use of Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, he delivered a litany of the achievements of the "socialist revolution" and Romanian "multi-laterally developed . ELENA CEAUESCU: Incredible. And who brought them into the country? He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times. They wanted to separate the people from the army. Defendant, if you had no accounts in Switzerland, will you sign a statement confirming that the money that may be in Switzerland should be transferred to the Romanian state, the State Bank. By 6 pm, Romanian television was broadcasting live reports of victory rallies attended by thousands in Bucharest. ELENA CEAUESCU: How can one tell us something like this? Nobody is likely to rise up and become a Man on Horseback. CEAUSESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. Have you understood them? [3], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, The former headquarters of the Central Committee of the, File:Ceausescu Final Speech - Former Central Committee Building - Bucharest - Romania.jpg, Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989, Nicolae Ceauescu LAST SPEECH (english subtitles) 1/2, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Ceauescu%27s_final_speech&oldid=714636674, Articles with Romanian-language external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. Its just that he makes it so hard to do so.. Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting Ti-mi-oa-ra! PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceauescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. You told us about it here. They are cowards. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? What about the accounts? ELENA CEAUSESCU: Incredible. The prosecutor quotes Ceausescu, Ceausescu's program. Nobody has opened an account.

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