Romanian President Guarantees Terror Convict Hayssam Will Do Time In Romania

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Friday night on OTV that Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam, who fled the country after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for terrorism, will end up serving his sentence in Romania.

8 views

"I can guarantee Omar Hayssam will end up serving his prison sentence in Romania. The country is putting in great efforts to find its biggest justice fleers," Basescu said.

Basescu said last month his 2008 visit to Syria, which he didn't comment at the time, was to negotiate amendments to Romania's extradition agreement with Syria, to make sure Hayssam, who is thought to be hiding in Syria, would be extradited to Romania when caught.

In 2007, a Romanian court found Hayssam guilty of masterminding the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq in 2005, and sentenced him in absentia to 20 years in prison.

Hayssam fled Romania while under a terrorism inquiry for his role in the kidnapping, shortly after he was paroled on medical grounds in the first half of 2006.

If you liked this story, please follow MEDIAFAX.RO on FACEBOOK »

The content of mediafax.ro is for your information only. Republishing or using this content is forbidden without express consent of MEDIAFAX. For this consent, please ask for it by mail at vanzari@mediafax.ro.