Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu has died at the age of 95. He passed away after being diagnosed with lung cancer and hospitalized in Bucharest in June.

Axar.az reports that Iliescu led Romania through its transition from communism to democracy and was the country’s first freely elected president, serving from 1989–1996 and again from 2000–2004.

He faced accusations of crimes against humanity for his role in the 1989 revolution and the violent 1990 crackdown on student protests known as the Mineriad, though he was never convicted. In recent years, Iliescu lived a quiet life, sharing occasional blog posts. His last post was on 19 May, congratulating Bucharest’s mayor.

A state funeral will be announced soon.