Constantin-Grigore Dumitrescu, also known as Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu or Ticu Dumitrescu (27 May 1928 – 5 December 2008), was a

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n politician and president of the Association of Romanian Former Political Prisoners. He was noted as a leading figure in the anti-communist resistance in Romania and for initiating the country's Uncovering the

Securitate The Department of State Security (), commonly known as the Securitate (, ), was the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was founded on 30 August 1948 from the '' Siguranța'' with help and direction from the Soviet MG ...

law.

Background

Dumitrescu was born on May 27, 1928, in Ciumați (now Olarii Vechi), a village in Olari commune,

Prahova County Prahova County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploiești. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 762,886 and the population density was 161/k ...

. He studied law at the

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...

, but was arrested by the Communist authorities in 1949 due to his political activities. He then worked as a construction laborer after he was rejected by Romanian universities when he attempted to go back to school. Dumitrescu was incarcerated again in 1958 and was sentenced to 23-year

forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

on the charge of conspiring against the state. He went through many prisons, including those in ,

Târgșor Târgșor is a former medieval market town in what is now Prahova County, Romania. The town peaked around 1600, after which it declined to become the village of Târgșoru Vechi, located about southwest of Ploiești. History Built in a heavily ...

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

Jilava Jilava is a commune in Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, near Bucharest. It is composed of a single village, Jilava. The name derives from a Romanian word of Slavic origin ( Bulgarian жилав ''žilav'' (tough), which passed into Romanian as ...

, ,

Galați Galați ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the river Danube. and the sixth-larges ...

Botoșani Botoșani () is the capital city of Botoșani County, in the northern part of Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Grigore Antipa. Origin of the ...

, and Văcărești, and the forced labor camp at Poarta Albă, on the

Danube–Black Sea Canal The Danube–Black Sea Canal () is a navigable canal in Romania, which runs from Cernavodă on the Danube river, via two branches, to Constanța and Năvodari on the Black Sea. Administered from Agigea, it is an important part of the waterway li ...

. He was freed in 1964. Dumitrescu became a member of the

Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party The Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (, PNȚCD) is an agrarianism, agrarian and Christian democracy, Christian democratic list of political parties in Romania, political party in Romania. It claims to be the rightful successor of t ...

and was elected to the

Senate of Romania 2012–2016 2008–2012 In December 2008, the Democratic Liberal Party (Romania), Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) and the Alliance PSD+PC, political alliance established between the Social Democratic Party of Romania, Social Democratic Party ...

from 1992 to 2000. During his tenure, he promoted laws that protect citizens against the persecutions of the Romanian secret police as well as the interests of political prisoners. For instance, he drafted the legislation that opened the files of the

, which included documents that contain information on people spying on citizens. Dumitrescu died December 5, 2008, in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

due to

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

and was buried in Olari. A street in Arad has been named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumitrescu, Constantin Ticu 1928 births 2008 deaths People from Prahova County Romanian dissidents People detained by the Securitate Inmates of Jilava Prison Inmates of the Danube–Black Sea Canal Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party politicians Members of the Senate of Romania Deaths from cancer in Romania Inmates of Văcărești Prison