Former political prisoner Ilie Ilașcu dies at 73; he will be buried in Bucharest
The former political prisoner of the separatist regime in Tiraspol, Ilie Ilascu, who had been living in Romania for many years, died on Monday, November 17, at the age of 73. The announcement was made on his Facebook page.
"With deep sorrow in our hearts, we announce the passing of Ilie Ilaşcu, a man who served as a pillar of dignity, courage, and love—a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. His integrity remained unshakable. For his family and all who knew him, Ilie Ilaşcu will always be remembered as a bright light—a man who loved sincerely, fought with honor, and was a true patriot. His legacy lives on in our hearts, as a lesson in courage and dignity that is rarely seen."
Ilie Ilaşcu will be buried in Bucharest, where he settled shortly after his release from illegal detention in Tiraspol in May 2001.
Ilie Ilașcu: A symbol of national resistance
Born on July 30, 1952, in Taxobeni, Falesti district, Ilie Ilașcu was one of the founders of the National Liberation Movement and led the Popular Front of Moldova branch in Tiraspol until 1992.
During the Nistru War, he actively participated in combat, serving as the commander of special-purpose troops for the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Moldova.
On June 2, 1992, he, along with Andrei Ivantoc, Alexandru Leshco, and Tudor Petrov-Popa, was arrested by Russian special forces. A year later, they were sentenced to death by an unrecognized court on the left bank of the Nistru.
Ilie Ilașcu was imprisoned in Transnistrian prisons from 1992 to 2001 under extremely difficult conditions, which included isolation, psychological pressure, arbitrary restrictions, and systematic violations of his rights. On May 5, 2001, following the insistence of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Union, Ilașcu was transferred to Chișinău and handed over to the secret services of the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
In 2004, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in the case “Ilașcu and others v. Moldova and Russia,” holding both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Moldova responsible for torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty, and violation of the right to correspondence.
Ilie Ilașcu served as a deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova for two terms: from 1994 to 1998 and from 1998 to 2000. He also served as a senator in Romania for two terms: from 2000 to 2004 and from 2004 to 2008. Between 2001 and 2008, he was a full member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, representing the Romanian delegation.
On May 10, 2001, the President of Romania, Ion Iliescu, awarded him the National Order "Star of Romania" with the rank of Knight. Additionally, on August 2, 2010, members of the "Ilașcu Group" received the "Order of the Republic" from the interim President of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Ghimpu. He was also honored as an "Honorary Citizen" in at least 40 Romanian cities, including Chișinău and Bucharest.
