Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu Executed by Firing Squad After Summary Trial, Ending Romanian Communism

Dec 25, 2024, 05:21 PM

On December 25, 1989, Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were executed by a firing squad following a summary trial. The trial, held in a military unit in Targoviste, charged the couple with genocide, claiming over 60,000 victims, undermining state power, and sabotaging the national economy through economic sabotage. The execution marked the end of communism in Romania, which had been one of the most violent transitions from communist rule in Eastern Europe. The Ceausescus were captured after attempting to flee Bucharest by helicopter, and their trial and execution were carried out swiftly, with the sentence being executed immediately after the verdict.