Árpád Szoczi

Timisoara: the Real Story Behind the Romanian Revolution Árpád Szoczi

Time was running out for Romania's biggest dissident, László Tökés in the western Romanian city of Timisoara. The Reformed Church Minister had been using his pulpit every week to preach to packed congregations about the brutal living conditions in the country as well as about the many human rights abuses by the regime's dreaded secret police - the Securitate. Such open dissent had never been done before, and Tökés would have to be disposed of. But Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu had to be careful because of the support the minister was getting from the West. Things dramatically changed when an émigré group from North America sent in two Canadians to record a secret TV interview with Tökés. It was March 20, 1989. The interview would have dire consequences - both for Tökés, and for his country.