Romania, Syria Sign Treaty On Extradition Of People Sentenced To Prison

The treaty was signed by Romanian Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, on the occasion of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s official visit to Romania.

On October 6, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi told MEDIAFAX that the two countries will sign several bilateral agreements, including a treaty on extradition, on the occasion of the Syrian President’s visit.

On November 16, 2009, President Traian Basescu said the goal of his 2008 visit to Syria was to amend the extradition agreement between the two countries, so that terrorism convict Omar Hayssam would be extradited to Romania. On January 8, 2010, the Romanian Foreign Ministry confirmed it had sent the Syrian authorities a draft treaty on extradition and said the draft is being analyzed by Syria.

In 2007, a Romanian court found Hayssam guilty of masterminding the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq in 2005, and sentenced him in absentia to 20 years in prison. Hayssam fled Romania in the first half of 2006, while under a terrorism inquiry for his role in the kidnapping.