Supreme Court definitively rejects torturer Vişinescu’s request to interrupt the serving of sentence

The High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court) has definitively rejected, as unfounded, the complaint by torturer Alexandru Vişinescu, the former commander of the Râmnicu Sărat Penitentiary, filed against the decision that rejected his request for the interruption in serving the sentence, due to medical reasons.

He is serving a 20-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity, hotnews.ro reports.

“The Court dismisses, as unfounded, the objection raised by the applicant Vişinescu Alexandru against the criminal sentence no. 34/F of March 1, 2018, pronounced by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, Criminal Section II. It obliges the contestant to pay the amount of RON 200 legal expenses to the state. (…) Ruling is final,” the decision reads.

On February 10, 2017, the former commander of the Râmnicu Sarat Penitentiary, Alexandru Vişinescu, was sentenced by the ICCJ to 20 years in jail for committing crimes against humanity in connection with the abuses on political prisoners.

Alexandru Vișinescu was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2016 in a final ruling given by the High Court of Cassation and Justice. He is charged with crimes against humanity related to abuses against political prisoners. Prosecutors said that 12 political inmates died in prison while Vișinescu was commander.

A few hours after the sentence was pronounced, Vișinescu was seized from his house by the police officers and taken to Rahova Penitentiary.

The communist torturer was sentenced to 20 years in prison in July 2015, following a sentence of the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

At the same time, Visinescu must pay together with the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Administration of Penitentiaries, compensations worth EUR 300,000 to the descendants of the victims. He has to pay EUR 50,000 to Nicoleta Eremia, EUR 100,000 to Elena Iacob and EUR 150,000 to Anca Maria Cernea.

As former commander of Ramnicu Sarat Penitentiary, Visinescu had fiercely oppressed political prisoners during 1956-1963. His trial started on September 24, 2014. Visinescu constantly denied the charges, saying he had just done his job and the prisoners were never tortured.

During Visinescu’s term as head of the Ramnicu Sarat Penitentiary, the inmates were subject to ill treatments which caused their physical extinction. They were deprived of the necessary medication and the proper medical assistance.