Journalists released from Iraq arrive in Bucharest

Three Romanian journalists who were held hostage in Iraq for nearly two months arrived home aboard a military plane yesterday, a day after their release.

Television reporter Marie Jeanne Ion and cameraman Sorin Miscoci, both of Prima TV, and Ovidiu Ohanesian, a reporter from the daily newspaper Romania Libera, appeared in good health as they got off the plane and hugged their families.

They were joined by President Traian Basescu, and all four raised their hands and made V for victory signs with their fingers.

Hundreds of friends, family and fellow journalists were on hand to greet them. The three were kidnapped in Baghdad on March 28 along with their Iraqi-American guide, Mohammad Monaf. Monaf remained in Iraq in US custody, the US Embassy in Bucharest said.

All four were freed on Sunday. Basescu, in announcing their release, said Romanian authorities refused kidnappers' demands that the country's 800 troops be pulled out of Iraq.

He said Bucharest would not negotiate its foreign policy or pay a ransom.

Basescu thanked Romania's Arab community, Romanian intelligence services and Iraqi investigators for helping to secure the hostages' freedom. He said more details about their release would be available after an investigation into the kidnapping was complete.

On Sunday, a group calling itself Maadh Bin Jabal said in a videotape aired on Al-Jazeera television that it decided to free the hostages after an appeal by Romania's Muslims and a Saudi preacher, Salman Bin Fahad Al-Oda.

"They are safe and that's all that matters," said Ohanesian's sister, Anne Marie. Monaf, who is married to a Romanian, was transferred by Romanian authorities to US custody, Basescu's office said, adding that he had asked to be sent to Romania.

He remained in Iraq to be interviewed by US investigators.

"In preliminary interviews that took place on Sunday and again early this morning in Baghdad, it was determined that he had information indicating an imminent threat to the multinational coalition forces in Iraq," the US Embassy in Bucharest said in a statement.