Iulian Vlad

Vlad became an employee for the Securitate, the secret police force of Socialist Republic of Romania, in 1951. During Nicolae Ceaușescu's rule, Vlad became a military education specialist in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.^[3] In 1977, Vlad became the director of counterintelligence.^[1] In 1983, Vlad served as the deputy minister of internal affairs. On 22 November 1984, Vlad became a member of the Great National Assembly representing Domnești. The following month, he was given the rank of colonel general. On 5 October 1987, Vlad was appointed as the director of the Securitate,^{[2]: 621–622} succeeding Tudor Postelnicu.^[4]: 223

During the 1989 Romanian revolution, Vlad pledged his allegiance to Ceaușescu^[3] and ordered the Securitate to crush anti-Ceaușescu protestors, imprisoning and killing many in the process. Ceaușescu ordered forces loyal to his government to fire live ammunition at protestors, but Vlad had Securitate forces use blank rounds instead.^[1] Vlad later proclaimed that he had joined the revolutionaries' side, but his loyalty was questioned as he did not order Securitate forces to stop attacking the protestors. The revolution was ultimately successful.^[3] On 22 December 1989, Vlad was arrested and removed from his positions as director of the Securitate and as a member of the Great National Assembly.^[2]: 622

Vlad was charged with "complicity to genocide" and faced life imprisonment, but the chargers were later downgraded to "favoring genocide". Vlad was convicted and sentenced to nine years imprisonment in 1991 and had his rank of colonel general revoked. He appealed the conviction but it was upheld. In 1992, he was further convicted of "aggravative murder" and sentenced to three years' imprisonment.^[3] Vlad served four years of his sentenced before being released in 1994.^[1]

After Vlad's release from prison, he participated in business negotiations between Romania and China.^[1]

Vlad died on 30 September 2017^[3] to cancer.^[1]