129:, and was looking for a way to leave the country with a large sum of money. His businesses included mineral water bottling, shops, a car dealership and manufacturing. Romanian media speculated that Hayssam had hoped prosecutors would drop the organized crime charges when he presented himself as a go-between. He would then unblock his bank accounts, which had been frozen as part of the financial investigation, pay a fictitious ransom, and become a "national hero" when the hostages were released.
121:, who locked them in the same cellar where Florence Aubenas, Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi, and five other hostages were held. The hostage-takers demanded the retreat of the 860 Romanian troops in Iraq in return for the journalists' release. The Romanian journalists were rescued after 55 days in captivity.
180:
Omar
Hayssam was captured by the Romanian special forces and handed over to the Police on July 19, 2013. He was immediately incarcerated at the Jilava Penitentiary to serve a 20 years sentence. He is currently awaiting other pending trials and civil suits. In the same case, Mohamad Omar, Hayssam’s
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Hayssam was arrested in
Romania on April 5, 2005. Prosecutors charged him and Mohammad Munaf, the journalists' Iraqi guide and Hayssam's business partner, with organizing the abduction to help Hayssam escape organized crime charges. According to the prosecutors, Hayssam organized the kidnapping
113:. According to reports, the group of kidnappers included Mahmoud Khaled Al-Omar, Abdel Jabbar Abbas Jasem Al-Samani, Ibrahim Yassin Kaathem Al-Jabouri, Omar Jassam Muhammad Ali Al-Salmani, and Yussef Munaf Muhammad Amin Al-Amin (the brother of
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229:"Luminile rampei – Omar Hayssam, un om pe care toată lumea pare a-l cunoaşte, dar mai nimeni nu-l recunoaşte (The Lights of the Ramp – Omar Hayssam, a man whom everyone seems to know, but no one recognises)"
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brother, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and Mihai
Nasture, Hayssam’s brother-in-law, remained with a sentence of three years and four months.
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2 million in damages for the trauma caused by their captivity; on June 13, 2007, the
Bucharest Appeals Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.
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Hayssam disappeared from
Romania in 2006 after a local court let him leave a prison hospital to recover at home, following surgery for
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https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2013/07/19/Syrian-fugitive-handed-over-to-Romania-over-Iraq-kidnappings
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as a student at the beginning of the 1980s, graduating from the
Railroads, Roads and Bridges Faculty of the
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https://www.romania-insider.com/syrian-omar-hayssam-gets-24-year-prison-sentence-romania
283:"Syrian-born fugitive sentenced to 20 years for kidnapping Romanian journalists in Iraq"
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360:"Adela Omar: "Decizia judecatorilor in cazul lui Hayssam este exageratā şi incorectā""
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79:. Hayssam continued doing business after 1989, which resulted in problems with the
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to 20 years in prison after a
Romanian court found him guilty of masterminding the
157:. His escape triggered the resignation of the chief prosecutor and the heads of
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75:. He married Adela, had seven children, and became a Romanian citizen after the
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339:"Suspected Terrorist Omar Hayssam Might Have Fled Romania via a Freight Boat"
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117:). On April 1, the kidnappers transferred the three journalists to the
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In 2006, Marie Jeanne Ion, Sorin Mişcoci, and Ovidiu
Ohanesian filed a
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141:. It has been speculated that he left on July 12, 2006 from the
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because he was being investigated in several cases of financial
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309:"Kidnapping of Romanian Journalists in Iraq: An unusual affair"
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reporter Marie Jeanne Ion, cameraman Sorin Mişcoci, and
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https://www.apnews.com/1871495c9a184c6ca9d7167788d70366
362:(in Romanian). Ziare.com. June 14, 2007. Archived from
203:"Romania sentences Arab businessman for Iraq kidnap"
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8:
149:, aboard a freight boat transporting young
168:against Omar Hayssam, each one asking for
16:Syrian-born Romanian financier (born 1963)
337:Gabi Golea, Emilia Sava (July 22, 2006).
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99:, a journalist working for the newspaper
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473:Fugitives wanted on kidnapping charges
105:, were abducted on March 28, 2005 in
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260:Constantinoiu, Marina (2005-06-15).
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453:Romanian people of Syrian descent
73:Bucharest Constructions Institute
483:Escapees from Romanian detention
307:Paraipan, Manuela (2005-07-01).
433:Naturalised citizens of Romania
109:, where they were covering the
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30:, born January 3, 1963) is a
91:In the kidnapping incident,
468:Fugitives wanted by Romania
443:Syrian emigrants to Romania
262:"Kidnapped by the Syrians!"
77:Romanian Revolution of 1989
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227:Popa, Eliza (2005-03-30).
159:Romanian secret services
119:Mouadh Ibn Jabal Brigade
423:Romanian businesspeople
428:Syrian businesspeople
498:Terrorism in Romania
287:The Associated Press
463:Fugitive financiers
448:Kidnappings in Iraq
341:. Jurnalul Naţional
264:. Jurnalul Naţional
67:Hayssam arrived in
458:Romanian criminals
41:who was sentenced
478:Romanian escapees
313:Global Politician
233:Jurnalul Naţional
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438:Romanian Muslims
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366:on June 16, 2007
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97:Ovidiu Ohanesian
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81:Financial Guard
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55:journalists in
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161:in July 2006.
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115:Mohammad Munaf
102:România Liberă
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493:Living people
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133:Disappearance
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368:. Retrieved
364:the original
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343:. Retrieved
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321:. Retrieved
317:the original
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291:. Retrieved
289:. 2007-06-13
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266:. Retrieved
241:. Retrieved
237:the original
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211:. Retrieved
209:. 2007-06-13
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139:colon cancer
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20:Omar Hayssam
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18:
488:1963 births
155:Middle East
44:in absentia
417:Categories
370:2007-06-18
345:2007-06-16
323:2007-06-14
293:2007-06-14
268:2007-06-18
243:2007-06-14
213:2007-06-14
185:References
166:civil suit
87:Kidnapping
63:Early life
49:kidnapping
143:Black Sea
69:Bucharest
59:in 2005.
51:of three
39:financier
145:port of
111:Iraq War
93:Prima TV
53:Romanian
36:Romanian
28:عمر هيثم
207:Reuters
176:Capture
153:to the
107:Baghdad
34:-born
32:Syrian
24:Arabic
147:Midia
127:fraud
151:rams
57:Iraq
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252:^
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170:€
22:(
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