Allegations That Journalists Agreed To Their Own Kidnapping in Iraq Surfaced

Mohamad Munaf’s brother and brother-in-law, questioned in Iraq, claimed in a statement released on 21 May in Baghdad that the three Romanian journalists agreed to their own kidnapping.

The journalists are accused by Munaf’s relatives that they agreed to stage their own kidnapping.

[Munaf, the Iraqi guide for the three Romanians, stayed in the custody of American forces in Baghdad, after being released from the terrorists, along the Romanians.] The shocking statements became public one day before the release of journalists from their captivity.

Al-Amin Yoossef is Mohamad Munaf’s brother. He stated: "(...) I met the three Romanian journalists. From their behavior I could gauge that they knew that that was a staged kidnapping; but I cannot certify this, it is only my contention. Munaf told me that the first to gain from the kidnapping will be the journalists, who will become famous. They did not accept to be guarded when they left for Fallujah, though they were offered it. I told them that there are 99% chances they will not make it back, but they said it did not matter."

Al-Giuburi Ibrahim is Mohamad Munaf’s brother-in-law. He said: "(...) I asked Munaf how would the journalists take the kidnapping, and he answered that the journalists were informed since being back in Romania that they will be kidnapped. Mohamad Munaf told me that he agreed with Omar Hayssam regarding the kidnapping of the journalists in Iraq; [he also said] that Hayssam talked to the journalists and informed them of the risks to be kidnapped in Iraq. They agreed to take that risk and even signed a document to that effect. After that Hayssam suggested that they would be indeed kidnapped, and they agreed to it, stating that they will become famous. I cannot assess if all three journalists agreed to the kidnapping or only two of them. At first I refused to take part in the kidnapping, in spite of the repeated requests from Munaf."