They Are Alive!

Message from Baghdad - The Images with the Kidnapped Romanians Have Shaken Romania

HYPOTHESES. Even if there are a lot rumors about the kidnapping of the three journalists, the images on TV impressed the Romanians.

Two days of agitation and incertitude. This is the time that passed between the announcement of the kidnapping of the three Romanian journalists and the first images broadcasted by Al-Jazeera. The good news is that the three journalists, as well as their Arab chaperon are alive.

The first images with the three Romanian journalists and their Arab-born guide have been made public on Wednesday night, more than 48 hours after the disappearance. The tape recorded by a specialist, as the chief of the news department at PrimaTV, Dan Dumitru, said, has been initially broadcasted by Al-Jazeera. The images are filmed with the equipment from PrimaTV, Dumitru says. He also states that "the lavaliere MarieJean is holding between her fingers is ours. I cannot prove this in Court, but I am sure it is ours".

SHOCK. The few frames present four people sitting, guarded on the flanks by two masked people, armed with AKMs. The recording, taken over by all the TV stations in the country, and by some abroad as well, has shocked the Romanian public opinion. Even though people have seen other images with kidnappings made by the Arabs, the fact that the three hostages were Romanians impressed the entire country. Three Romanians frightened and threatened with guns. It is an image that touches anyone, journalist, politician or an ordinary person. Without any doubt, the persons on the footage are journalists Marie-Jeanne Ion and Sorin Miscoci from PrimaTV and Eduard Ohanesian from Romania Libera.

The fourth is Mohamad Munaf, the guide of the journalists’ group in Baghdad, but also the one who made the links for several interviews with some Iraqi important persons. The kidnapped Romanians didn’t show any visible physical violence signs.

ASPECTS. The first things noticed in the broadcasted images were the two blankets with floral motives in the background, but also the absence of any Arab writings. Then, the fact that the two terrorists, who were somewhat dramatically dressed, for the picture, were silent. Unloke the nosy scenes, in which the kidnappers were shouting threats, battle cries or curses. Another difference from other kidnapping cases in Iraq regards the dressing of the kidnappers. The two were civilian-like dressed. One of them was wearing a red short-sleeved T-shirt and trousers. The other one was wearing a white shirt.

MESSAGE. Marie-Jeanne has been the one who, probably forced by the kidnappers, has said a few words in English. The message, very clear by the way, was: "We have been kidnapped and we heard from our kidnappers that someone would have asked something in exchange for our freedom. It isn’t true!". The words, calmly spoken by the journalist at Prima, contradicts at least the version of the kidnapping from financial reasons. If it is so, then there are many questions to ask: Who will the people Omar Hayssam sent to Baghdad talk to? Where will the ransom go to?

Impressions - The Families Are Shocked

The families, the friends and editorial colleagues have been shocked by the footage taken by the Romanian TV stations from Al-Jazeera. "we couldn’t believe our eyes, even though we knew they were alive and aware of the fact that, eventually, a recorded tape with them will appear", Costel Oprea, the chief of the Investigation Department from Romania Libera, told us.

Analyzing the faces of the four hostages, the colleagues of Ovidiu Ohanesian have discovered that he looked very tired. He was upset, not necessarily scared. "He looked as if he was about to attack the one filming", the journalist’s colleagues say.

Ovidiu’s family is destroyed. The most touched is his mother, who is old and suffering. Especially when Ovidiu left for Iraq withour her consent.

A lot of sadness between the Ions as well. "She was tired and looked as if she cried, but it was her", Marie-Jeanne’s father said. Senator Ion Vasile stated that the only thing remained for us to do in these dramatic moments is to let the authorities do their job. He feels that no kind of suppositions should be made.

SIBIU. The fact that they are alive and healthy has partly comforted Sorin Miscoci’s family and friends. The neighbors have barged in the apartment he is expected to return. However, the press has been respectfully refused. Now, Sorin’s parents believe that any word from them might mean bad things for the three captives in Iraq. At the initiative of the Journalists’ League in Sibiu, hundreds of locals are expect to march the "March of Silence", as a way of supporting the three kidnapped journalists in Iraq and their families. In front of the block of flats in which Sorin Miscoci’s family is living in, a priest will say a little prayer. (By Magda Colgiu, Ion Alexandru, Dan Tomozei)