22 Jul 2010

Ceausescus exhumed to allay doubts over identity of remains

4:34 pm on 22 July 2010

The bodies of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena have been exhumed at the request of family members to remove any doubt about the identity of the remains in their grave.

The exhumation follows a request from the Ceausescu family, which has questioned whether the couple was really buried in a cemetery in Bucharest.

Forensic tests will be performed to verify that the remains are indeed those of the Ceausescus.

Nicolae Ceausescu ruled Romania from 1965 until he was toppled in a revolution in 1989.

Son-in-law Mircea Oprean says he is sure the bodies are his in-laws.

The Ceausescus were executed in 1989, but Mr Oprean says there has never been any official paperwork to confirm the location of their bodies.