Man Who Ordered Ceausescus’ Deaths Kills Self

The chief of the military tribunal that condemned Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife to death in December has committed suicide, Justice Minister Teofil Pop announced Friday.

He told a news conference that Maj. Gen. Gica Popa, 57, shot himself in the head with his standard-issue Makharov pistol at 1:15 p.m. Thursday in his Justice Ministry office. It was unclear whether the suicide was related to Popa’s role on the tribunal.

The announcement coincided with the opening of the trial of 21 former secret police officers charged in connection with scores of deaths in the December revolution that overthrew Ceausescu. The trial is being held in downtown Timisoara, the western city where the revolution originated.

Pop said that Popa, chief of the Military Territorial Tribunal, was rushed to the Bucharest military hospital, where he died two hours later with his wife and daughter by his side. Popa left a suicide note that asked forgiveness but did not explain his motive, Pop reported.

Pop called the suicide the result of a “very grave depression.”

But Popa’s wife, Eleonora, told a wire service that her husband had been receiving anonymous threats “beginning with the 25th of December,” the date of the Ceausescu trial. She said Popa tried to discuss the threats Thursday morning with the justice minister but “was turned away.”

Pop confirmed that Popa’s voice was the one heard on the video-recording of the trial of Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, which was broadcast repeatedly on Romanian and international television.

The angry voice was heard interrogating the pair and then announcing they had been sentenced to death for genocide and other crimes against the Romanian people. The couple were subsequently executed by firing squad.

Friday’s court proceedings in Timisoara were among the largest against those suspected of trying to crush the uprising.

Maj. Gen. Emil Macri and six others are charged with genocide and face life in prison if convicted. The 14 others face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on lesser charges stemming from the shootings of unarmed civilians who took to the streets of Timisoara in December to demonstrate against Ceausescu.

Prosecutors said 94 people died in the Timisoara violence.