President Iohannis: We cannot let those who committed crimes against humanity sleep peacefully

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday stated that it cannot be tolerated to leave those who committed crimes against humanity "to sleep peacefully" and that the relevant institutions "have a duty to immediately react."

"In this attempt of knowing and assuming the past it is fundamental to sanction such acts that represented a direct attack against human dignity. Unfortunately, what I see is that, in investigating the communist crimes, we are facing a blockage right now. We cannot tolerate to leave those who committed crimes against humanity to sleep peacefully now. The relevant state institutions must react immediately," said Iohannis, at the ceremony where some former political prisoners were decorated, organized at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

According to the head of the state, "the condemnation of the communist horrors and the valorization of the communist resistance were commitments" he made ever since taking over as Romanian President.

"It was not by chance that I chose to bestow the first decoration upon Mr. Octav Bjoza, the President of the Association of the Former Political Prisoners in Romania, in sign of recognition of the sacrifice of those who fought for liberty. The society needs models and the political prisoners fought for the democratic principles and for liberty, which they placed above their own lives, so that they are models," said Iohannis.

Moreover, the President specified that he continues to support the project of having a Communist Museum in Romania.

"I supported, in various occasion, the need for preserving the national memory and the importance of cultivating the civic spirit. In this sense, the communist memory could be capitalized on in a Communism Museum, a project that I continue to support," stated Iohannis.