"We Want to See Them All Safe Back Home"

Secretly, the members of the three Romanian journalists’ families have talked yesterday, at the Cotroceni Palace, with President Traian Basescu. They didn’t want any press members present, such that not even the Presidency’s photographers was present.

UPSET. The father of Marie-Jeanne, Senator Vasile Ion, doesn’t want to hear about any more speculations on the kidnapping

Daniela Berindei, Sorin Miscoci’s sister, sees yesterday’s visit in Cotroceni as an encouragement gesture from President Traian Basescu. There haven’t been much details discussed upon the methods of the Romanian and international authorities, the encouragement being the President’s main message.

SECRECY. "Traian Basescu asked us to have trust in the Romanian services taking care of this case and we believe all three of them will safely come back home", Daniela Berindei, Sorin Miscoci’s sister, said. However, all the representatives of the families present in Cotroceni have complained to the president about the speculations and comments in the press regarding the three journalists. "For us, each speculative comment on the location, clothes, or attitude of the three journalists causes as many hits. I don’t know how long we are going to resist in front of the imagination and ideas of Sorin’s colleagues. What is their aim? Isn’t this dramatically enough? Do they ask for proofs, proofs that might eventually harm one of them? This is unbelievable!", Daniela says with tears in her eyes. Only her and her mother went to Cotroceni, because her father had to remain in Sibiu to go to work.

Senator Vasile Ion, the father of the journalist from Prima TV, Marie-Jeanne Ion, said he is exhausted because of the speculations on the kidnapped people. "The way in which the images of the three superpose on political and economical implications is absolutely incredible. I only want to see my daughter safe back home, to see them all safe back at home", Senator Ion stated. Senator Vasile Ion refused to make any comments on the meeting in Cotroceni with President Traian Basescu and asks the Romanian press to stop the speculations. "Sick scenarios don’t do any good to our three children. They asked for proofs and now they have them. Probably, tomorrow, the press will focus on the structures of the walls and, as well on the things that might happen to them. I understand the competition in the media market, but their lives are much more important", Senator Vasile Ion also stated.

For the discussion with President Basescu, the members of the family of the American-Irakian-Romanian businessman Mohamad Munaf, who was kidnapped together with the journalists, were also present. The operative group formed for solving the problem of the Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq is coordinated by President Traian Basescu in Cotroceni.