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Ion Iliescu’s Casket Lies in State as Romania Prepares State Funeral

A state funeral is scheduled for August 7 following a presidential decree declaring that day a national day of mourning.

Overview

  • Former president Ion Iliescu died on August 5 in Bucharest after being hospitalized with lung cancer since early June.
  • His casket was transferred to Cotroceni Palace on August 6 and now lies in state under the tricolor flag.
  • The government has declared August 7 a national day of mourning and will lower flags on official buildings to half-staff.
  • Two ongoing military prosecutions accuse him of crimes against humanity for civilian deaths during the 1989 revolution and the 1990 miners’ crackdown, with no convictions recorded.
  • As founder of the cial DeDemocratic Party, Iliescu steered Romania through three presidential terms and its accession to NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007, leaving a divisive legacy.