“I will never beat my brother in suffering”

Out of this group of 14–16 victims—the number of us crowded into the death chamber[1]—each one seemed to stubbornly refuse to give in. Țurcanu came to us after closing time and demanded:

“Which of you bandits has decided to unmask himself?”

When he saw that there was no answer, he flew into a rage and began striking us with fists and feet wherever he could.

When they grew tired of beating all of us together, they would take us individually into the torture chamber and start the systematic beatings anew.

During these individual sessions, two or three other victims were always brought in to witness the punishment we endured, to intimidate us and force compliance.

Țurcanu would even put a club in our hands, compelling us to strike the very people being beaten.

This is what happened when he placed a club in Traian Popescu’s hand, ordering him to hit Voicu Andreiescu. But Popescu dared to resist; he flung the club back at Țurcanu with anger and defiance, declaring:

“I will never hit a comrade, a friend, or a suffering brother.”

Poor Popescu Maca paid dearly for his courage. Țurcanu and his henchmen rushed him, beating him with clubs, their feet, and whatever else they could seize. Traian Popescu emerged from this savage attack with a broken leg.

The events took place in Room 99 of Gherla Prison, notorious for being the site of the re-education through torture program.

(Mihai Timaru – Memories from Gherla, Editura de Vest, 1993, pp. 60–61)