Romania: Syrian sentenced to 20 years

A Bucharest court Wednesday sentenced a fugitive Syrian-born businessman to 20 years in prison.

Izvor: BIRN

Thursday, 14.06.2007.

11:24

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Romania: Syrian sentenced to 20 years

Hayssam, a prosperous businessman, fled Romania mysteriously last year. He must also pay compensation worth EUR 2mn for each journalist.

In 2005, an unknown group seized Marie-Jeanne Ion, a senior reporter for Prima TV; Sorin Miscoci, a cameraman; and Ovidiu Ohanesian, a reporter for the daily newspaper Romania Libera.

Their kidnappers demanded at the time that Romania withdraw its troops from Iraq.

After 55 days in captivity, the reporters were freed, following negotiations between Romanian authorities and the kidnappers.

Omar Hayssam reportedly offered to pay the reporters' travel expenses and set up interviews with top Iraqi politicians, according to local media.

Prosecutors claimed Hayssam organized the kidnapping because he was being investigated in several cases of economic fraud.

In 2005, Hayssam said he wanted to leave Romania to go to Iraq to arrange for journalists' to be released but he was not allowed as he was under investigation.  

Finally, the journalists were freed, and Romanian prosecutors over a year ago launched an investigation into Hayssam's role in the kidnapping.

Hayssam's lawyer says his client is innocent and will appeal the ruling.

In a phone interview to a local TV station, Hayssam said on Wednesday that he doesn't want to be "a scapegoat for the Romanian Justice system," and that "the real culprits in the kidnapping are not behind bars."

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