Background
Iancu Sandu was shot and killed in a hospital in Brașov during the December 1989 events that led to the fall of Romania’s communist regime. In separate proceedings concerning the immediate shooting, a soldier was convicted of aggravated murder in 2001. The court also awarded Mr. Sandu’s wife compensation against the soldier and the Ministry of Defence.
The applicants—Mr. Sandu’s daughter, son, and wife—also remained parties to a broader investigation begun in 1990 into deaths connected with the December 1989 events. That investigation later concerned possible crimes against humanity by State officials. An indictment issued in 2019 was returned to prosecutors by the High Court’s Preliminary Chamber in September 2024, and the parties reported no subsequent developments.
The Court’s Holding
The Court unanimously held that Romania violated the procedural limb of Article 2. The earlier conviction of the direct perpetrator did not remove the applicants’ victim status, because the broader investigation had a distinct purpose: determining whether other State officials bore responsibility, including through the planning and control of the relevant operations.
Applying its prior findings concerning the December 1989 investigations, the Court concluded that the main investigation had not met Article 2 standards. It had not been pursued with the required reasonable expedition and had been marked by excessive duration, periods of inactivity, inadequate victim involvement, and insufficient public information. In light of that finding, the Court did not examine the applicants’ Article 6 § 1 complaint.
Key Takeaways
- A conviction of the person who directly caused a death does not necessarily satisfy Article 2 where a separate inquiry must examine broader official responsibility.
- Investigations into violent deaths must proceed with reasonable expedition and meaningfully involve victims.
- The Court awarded each applicant EUR 23,000 for non-pecuniary damage and EUR 500 for costs and expenses, plus any applicable tax.
Why It Matters
The judgment reinforces that accountability for large-scale State violence requires more than identifying an immediate shooter. Authorities must also investigate potentially responsible officials and the surrounding planning, command, and control arrangements.
For Romania, the ruling adds to the Court’s established criticism of the prolonged December 1989 investigations and confirms that their continuing delay remains incompatible with the procedural duty to protect life.