Wikipedia
Radu may refer to:
- Radu (given name), a Romanian masculine given name
- Radu (surname), a Romanian surname
- Radu (weapon), a Romanian nuclear weapon
- Radu, Iran (disambiguation)
Radu was, according to Ion Mihai Pacepa, a radiological weapon used against dissenters and critics by Nicolae Ceaușescu's Securitate. "Radu" is a Romanian name and in this context it is a reference to " radiation". The weapon was intended to lead to cancer which would result in death within months after the exposure.
According to Pacepa, it was created by the Securitate's "Service K" in spring 1970, using radioactive materials it received from the KGB. The Romanian "Service K", founded in 1950s by the Soviets using the KGB model, was in charge of the dirty work against jailed prisoners who they considered dangerous to the regime. This included monitoring them with microphones and trying to frame them by inducing them into making incriminating statements. The service was also in charge of killing them and making it appear like a suicide or natural death.
Historian Mihai Pelin claimed in a book on Radio Free Europe, Melița și Eterul, that there was no such weapon, but others, such as RFE journalist Nestor Ratesh, argue that Pelin also claimed the Securitate was not involved in the RFE bombing, but eventually it turned out that they were the ones who hired Carlos the Jackal for this job.
Critics of Ceaușescu who died of cancer and are suspected to have been irradiated by the Securitate include:
- Noël Bernard, head of the Romanian-language department of Radio Free Europe
- Vlad Georgescu, head of the Romanian-language department of Radio Free Europe
- Mihai Cizmărescu, head of the Romanian-language department of Radio Free Europe
- Emil Georgescu, journalist at Radio Free Europe
- Amza Pellea, Romanian actor
Radu is a Romanian surname, and may refer to:
- Andrei Radu (born 1996), Romanian football player
- Carmen Radu (21st century), Romanian businessperson
- Cosmin Radu (born 1981), Romanian water polo player
- Dan Ghica Radu (born 1955), Romanian Land Forces general
- Daniel Radu (born 1977), Romanian water polo player of the 1990s
- Daniel Radu (boxer), Romanian boxer of the 1970s and '80s
- Daniel Radu (judoka), Romanian judoka of the 1980s
- Demetriu Radu (1861–1920), Romanian bishop
- Elena Radu (born 1975), Romanian sprint canoer
- Elie Radu (1853–1913), Romanian artisan
- Eugen Radu (born 1978), Romanian luger
- Florian Radu (1920–1991), Romanian football player
- Maria Radu (born 1959), Romanian long-distance runner
- Marin Radu (born 1956), Romanian football player
- Marina Radu (born 1984), Canadian water polo player
- Marius Radu (born 1977), Romanian football player
- Michael Radu (1947–2009), Romanian-American political scientist
- Paul Radu (21st century), Romanian investigative journalist
- Răzvan Radu (born 1984), Romanian futsal player
- Sergiu Radu (born 1977), Romanian football player
- Silvia Radu (born 1935), Romanian sculptor
- Ștefan Radu (born 1986), Romanian football player
- Valentin Radu (born 1956), Romanian conductor
Radu is a relatively common Romanian given name for males. Radu is a name of Slavonic origin, meaning "the happy one".