A Bucharest court yesterday sentenced Syrian-Romanian businessmen Omar Hayssam in absentia to 20 years in prison on a charge of “terrorism” for organising the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists - Marie-Jeanne Ion, Sorin Miscoci and Ovidiu Ohanesian - in Iraq in the spring of 2005. He was also ordered to pay them 6 million euros in compensation for the 55 days they spent as hostages. Their guide, Mohamed Munaf, was previously sentenced to death by a Baghdad court on a charge of complicity in their abduction. Hayssam, who is now in Lebanon, said he would appeal.
Iraq: Businessman sentenced to 20 years in absentia for abducting three journalists
Date Posted:
15 June 2007
Last Modified:
15 June 2007
