Leon Șușman

Leon Șușman (June 10, 1910 – July 19, 1957)[1] was a member of the fascist paramilitary organization the Iron Guard who, following the Soviet occupation of Romania and establishment of the Romanian People's Republic, became the leader of an anti-communist paramilitary group in the Apuseni Mountains.[2]

Șușman was born in Măhăceni, Alba County on June 10, 1910, in a family of Greek-Catholic peasants. After graduating with a law degree from the University of Cluj, he joined the Iron Guard. In 1941 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his participation in the Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom, however he escaped capture and fled to the Apuseni Mountains. In 1945, following an agreement between Iron Guard leader Nicolae Petrașcu and Interior Minister Teohari Georgescu which granted Iron Guard members amnesty in exchange for turning in their weapons, Șușman returned to civilian life and practiced law in Ocna Mureș;[3] he did so until May 15, 1948, when the Communist leadership started to arrest ex-members of the Iron Guard and fascist sympathizers.[4] At that time, he and his brother Gheorghe Șușman went underground, hiding from the authorities in the area between Turda, Ocna Mureș, Aiud, and Blaj.

From 1949 to 1950 Șușman led an anti-communist paramilitary group in the Măhăceni–Aiud area. Between 1950 and 1957, he was the leader of the resistance group in the Poșaga area, together with the Greek-Catholic priest Simion Roșa.[1]

To eliminate the Șușman resistance group, the Romanian security forces used informers against them and intercepted the correspondence of family members.[3] Șușman died in Poșaga de Sus of wounds sustained in a shootout with Securitate troops during the night of July 18–19, 1957.[2][1]