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Jail upheld for ex-head of Romanian Communist prison

By AFP
10 February 2016   |   11:30 am
A Romanian appeal court on Wednesday upheld a 20-year jail term for the former head of a notorious Communist-era prison, convicted of crimes against humanity. The High Court in Bucharest rejected an appeal by Alexandru Visinescu, 90, who was found guilty last July, 26 years after the collapse of the totalitarian regime of Nicolae Ceausescu.…

A Romanian appeal court on Wednesday upheld a 20-year jail term for the former head of a notorious Communist-era prison, convicted of crimes against humanity.

The High Court in Bucharest rejected an appeal by Alexandru Visinescu, 90, who was found guilty last July, 26 years after the collapse of the totalitarian regime of Nicolae Ceausescu.

His lawyers launched an appeal in October, arguing that there was “no evidence of the accused’s intention to inflict any more suffering than that prescribed by law.”

Wednesday’s decision makes his jail term effective immediately.

Visinescu headed the Ramnicu Sarat prison for political detainees in eastern Romania between 1956 and 1963. At least 14 prisoners died during his tenure.

All prisoners were held in solitary confinement, denied the right to speak to anyone and suffered hunger and beatings.

Visinescu voiced no regrets or apologies for his actions, arguing that he was only obeying orders from his superiors and had upheld the law.

Over 600,000 people were jailed in Romania for political reasons between 1945 and 1989, according to the Sighet Memorial for the victims of communism.

The most severe crackdowns took place in the 1950s.

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