Dokument #1180055
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
In telephone interviews on 5, 10 and 12
December 1997, the vice-president of the Romanian Helsinki
Committee in Bucharest provided the following information, which
represents her personal viewpoint.
The Jilava association was formed in late
December 1989 or in early January 1990, and is an association of
people who were incarcerated or mistreated in the Jilava
penitentiary in Jilava (a town approximately 14 kilometres from
Bucharest) on the night of 21 December 1989 and who were released
on 22 December 1989. The Jilava organization is one of the numerous
revolutionary organizations created shortly after the events of
1989, and legislation was passed in the early 1990s which gave
these organizations certain rights and privileges in recognition of
their contribution to the overthrow of Ceaucescu.
In the autumn of 1997, there were
demonstrations by some of these revolutionary organizations, which
were not initiated by Jilava but which included it, against the
government which was debating in parliament whether to revoke the
rights and privileges granted to these groups. The government
decided not to revoke them, but did decide to initiate an
investigation of the revolutionary organizations to determine
whether their members were bona fide combatants in the events of
December 1989. The government will decide later whether their
rights and privileges will be revoked.
The Jilava association engaged in many
demonstrations against the former Iliescu government; there were
several instances during which they were prohibited from
demonstrating in front of government buildings. The vice-president
personally knows the Jilava vice-president, Adrian Nicolae, and
added that under the Iliescu government, some Jilava members were
threatened and harassed by the police. She has not heard of any
cases of members being arrested during the Iliescu era but would
not discount that possibility. The vice-president does not have
information on the treatment of Jilava members and their activities
since the formation of the new government led by Emil Constanescu,
apart from their involvement in the October protests which were
permitted by the police.
For information on a protest by the Jilava
21-22 December 1989 Revolutionary Association in October 1997,
please see the 24 October 1997 Radio Romania Network attachment.
For information on a meeting between the Jilava Association leader
and the Speaker of the Senate, please consult the 29 October 1997
Radio Romania Network attachment.
Additional information on the December 22
organization could not be found among the sources consulted by the
Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
Romanian Helsinki Committee, Bucharest.
12 December 1997. Telephone interview with vice-president.
_____. 10 December 1997. Telephone
interview with vice-president.
_____. 5 December 1997. Telephone
interview with vice-president.
Attachments
Radio Romania Network [Bucharest, in
Romanian]. 29 October 1997. "Romania: Hunger Striker Sets Himself
on Fire in Front of Senate."
(FBIS-EEU-97-302 29 Oct. 1997/WNC)
_____. 24 October 1997. "Romania:
Revolutionary Groups Continue Hunger Strike, Protests."
(FBIS-EEU-97-297 24 Oct. 1997/WNC)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report.
Yearly.
CSCE Digest [Washington].
Monthly.
Electronic sources: IRB databases,
Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News Connection
(WNC).
News from Helsinki Watch [New
York]. Monthly.
Transition [Prague]. Twice
monthly.
Uncaptive Minds [Washington].
Quarterly.
The names of the president and secretary of
the Iasi branch of the Asociatia Romilor in March 1997
could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research
Directorate.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of sources consulted in researching this Information
Request.
Sources Consulted
CSCE Digest [Washington].
Monthly.
Electronic sources: IRB databases,
LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News
Connection (WNC).
News from Helsinki Watch [New
York]. Monthly.
Roma Rights [Budapest].
Quarterly.
Transition [Prague]. Twice
monthly.
Unsuccessful attempts to contact oral
sources.