THE CASE OF TORTURER PIRVULESCU MARIN
Excerpts from Securitate's Surveillance File on Gheorghe Ursu
The
Military Prosecution Department (SPM) asked for Gheorghe Ursu's
surveillance file (prepared by the former Securitate) at the time when
they investigated Stanica and Creanga. Prosecutor Dan Voinea had
managed to obtain photocopies of some surveillance file documents even
in February 1990, in the midst of the post-revolutionary transition.
However, SRI (the Romanian Intelligence Service) subsequently blocked
the access to the surveillance file until a successful press campaign
led to its release, mandated by Decision 14 of CSAT (the Supreme
Council of National Defence) on 02.21.2000..Unfortunately (but predictably), the file had been significantly tempered with and forged(between 1990-1994), with most of the documents incriminating Gheorghe Ursu's killers and torturers having been stolen. A detailed research revealed not only the forgery, but also many documents which were showing the political dimension of the case as well as the involvement of Securitate in planning and carrying out the poltical murder. It is very likely that these documents were left in the file only because prosecutor Dan Voinea had already obtained photocopies of some of these documents (as mentioned above), hence stealing all the documents from the file would not have benefited SRI.
Upon careful examination, these documents, correlated with the witness depositions, prove Securitate's intention and motivation to supress Gheorghe Ursu, as well as officer PIRVULESCU's direct involvement in his torture and murder.
DSS Report no. D/0290247/01.30.1985 contains the main accusations, following the investigation undertaken by PIRVULESCU MARIN and the reports signed by him:- "He keeps a diary with the goal of publishing it in which, over the years, he made numerous comments that denigrate the realities of our country, the internal and external policy of the Romanian state...His writings also contain grave manifestations of slandering and defaming the state and party leadership..."
- "He has maintained links with elements from the reactionary Romnanian immigration in Paris and with commntators at the self-called radio station "Free Europe" since 1974. Between 1974-1978 he received from these persons and introduced in the country various prints with anticommunist content."
- "He delivered to the self-called radio station "Free Europe" 2 documents in which he made comments with an inimical position about the actions taken by the party leadership in the construction field of Romania, which made the object of several radio broadcasts."
- "He copied quotes from various works by foreign authors containing references to thenecessity to fight against the establishment and he posted them at his work place, with the aim to draw (people's) attention that the critical situation during those times (meaning during fascist regimes) was similar to the current realities of Romania..."
Finally, the leadership of DSS (State Department of Securitate) decided:
- "Taking into consideration that URSU GHEORGHE EMIL has carried on an intense activity of hostile propaganda through direct actions or through the agency of reactionary propaganda dens (located) abroad.., a penal prosecution against him is going to be started, the continuation of the interrogations under arrest, and the indictment for the perpetration of infringements (of the law) stipulated in Art. 166 of the Penal Code...[propaganda against the socialist order, nn]."
-"Due to the fact that the person in question maintains close relationships with some authors, who are within the radar of the Securitate agents because of their (own) hostile beliefs, it follows that during the interrogations the nature of those relationships with them be also clarified."
DSS Note of 08.15.85,
in which the Military Prosecution Department wrote: "The case is known
and studied by the leadership of State Securitate and of the Department
of Internal Affairs" and: "Presented to comrade chief prosecutor on
08.28.85". The note was also signed by N. Iscrulescu, who was deputy
chief prosecutor at the time. That particular date follows the date at
which Securitate claimed to have stopped Ursu's investigation and is
three weeks before Ursu's arrest and the beginning of his tortures.
This proves yet again the interest of the Ceausescu regime for Gheorghe
Ursu, beyond the simulation of apparently ending his investigation
before the arrest.
The 10.22.1985 address of the Department of Criminal Investigations sent
to the Department II of DSS (during Ursu's arest), noting the american
interest for the case of Gheorghe Ursu. This also shows Securitate's
interest for Gheorghe Ursu during his detention.
The note of Securitate on 10.23.1985, concerning Gheorghe Ursu (while he was in detention), classified "top secret".
External telegrams and internal notes of Romanian authorities during Gheorghe Ursu's detention
All
these documents prove yet again, without any doubt, that Gheorghe Ursu
was at that moment (October-November 1985, while he was tortured in
jail,short before he was murdered ) under the scrutiny of the Romanian
state's highest authorities. It is absolutely clear that the
logic of communist political oppression and mistification was dictating
that Ceausescu's regime could no longer risk to leave Gheorghe Ursu out
of jail, alive. Should this have happened, Gheorghe Ursu would have
revealedto the USA and to the whole world the political essence of his
investigation and arrest, the tortures and terror he had had to endure,
as well as the official lies spread by Ceausescu's regime.
The telegram of ambassador Gavrilescu in Washington addressed to foreign minister Stefan Andrei
These
telegrams show that the Romanian authorities considered congressman
Yates one of "the most influential members of the Congress" and
"someone close to the embassy, who supported the development of
relationships between Romania and USA".
The ambassador's answer to USA congresman Sydney Yates, following the later's interventions towards clarifying the situation of Gheorghe Ursu
The letter of Lee Hamilton, the chief of the American Congress sub-committee for Europa and Middle East, addressed to ambassador Gavrilescu in Washington, on October 17, 1985, while Gheorghe Ursu was arrested and tortured for political reasons by Securitate.The letter of George Homostean, Ministry of Internal Affairs, addressed to Stefan Andrei, Ministry of External Affairs (and edited in a second version,
on October 22nd 1985) - in which he answered that Gheorghe Ursu had
been arrested only for common law reasons. Correlated with the
(previously mentioned) diplomatical letters and the letters exchanged
between ambassador Gavrilescu, ministry Stefan Andrei and the chiefs of
Securitate, this letter proves that the Romanian state hid from the
American authorities the true political motives behind Gheorghe Ursu's
investigation and detention.
.
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Notes, deppositions and written records countersigned by PIRVULESCU Marin during Gheorghe Ursu's detention (October 1985), proving once again that PIRVULESCU Marin was the Securitate officer who investigated Gheorghe Ursu in detention.
- Deposition, 10.24.1985, handwritten and signed by Ursu Gheorghe Emil, coountersigned by PIRVULESCU Marin.
- Delegation, 10.24.1985, handwritten and signed by Ursu Gheorghe Emil, coountersigned by PIRVULESCU Marin.
- Proof of search warrant, 01.17.1985, written and signed by PIRVULESCU Marin; on the opposite page it contains a deposition made by Gheorghe Ursu on 10.24.1985, and another deposition made by Andrei Ursu on the same date
- Search warrant record, 17.01.1985, written and signed by PIRVULESCU Marin and countersigned by Gheorghe Ursu under a note he added on 10.24.1985 – when he was under arrest; it also contains a Note written and signed by Andrei Ursu, on 10.29.1985, in front of the same PIRVULESCU;
Investigation documents edited by Securitate officer PIRVULESCU Marin, which prove that he was Gheorghe Ursu's main investigator, as well as the strictly political nature of the case
- Investigation plan written by PIRVULESCU in the case of Ursu Gheorghe – December 1984, containing the plan of informative surveillance
- Table edited by PIRVULESCU and containing surveillance notes provided by informers, as well as notes from Gheorghe Ursu's previous surveillance (the "TRAVELLER" action);
- Note of study concerning the "Udrea" file - 02.20.1985, written by PIRVULESCU Marin; it contains informations gathered from informers and from audio surveillance
- PIRVULESCU's notes from January 1985 concerning the "Free Europe" radio broadcasts which featured the letters written by Gheorghe Ursu
- Preliminary plan record signed by PIRVULESCU Marin – 03.05.1985 ;
- The DSS report on 03.05.1985,
signed by PIRVULESCU, in which he proposed the pretended ceasing of the
investigation by DSS and informing the Militia authorities
- The order of prosecutor TUCULEANU Alexandru on 10.21.1985, imposing the abusive extension of Ursu Gheorghe's remand, even though the investigation for non-political offence was finalized and "did not pose problems"
- The written record on 08.05.1987,
edited by Securitate officers PIRVULESCU Marin and Hodis Vasile and
showing that they were still handling Gheorghe Ursu's file even
at that time - 2 years after the dissident's murder
- Copy after the cover of the informative surveillance file, volume II, concerning Ursu Gheorghe (out of 7 volumes in total); they are dated 10.01.1987, proving once again that the Securitate was still handling the case 2 years after the dissident's murder
- The chief of SRI's address (on 04.04.2000) to the Prosecutor General of Romania, along with the 7 volumes of the informative surveillance file concerning Gheorghe Ursu, which were classified as state secret in year 2000, following a decision taken by CSAT (the Supreme Council of National Defence).