Romanian High Court Suspends Hayssam Trial

On April 24, the Bucharest Court of Appeals rejected the requests formulated by the lawyers of the four defendants in the case of Hayssam’s flight from justice. The lawyers requested that the Constitutional Court be notified regarding an exception of unconstitutionality within article 33 item C of Law 535 / 2004 on the fight against terrorism and within several articles of Law 182/2002 on classified information.

The defendants challenged the Bucharest Court of Appeal’s ruling in the High Court of Justice.

The ruling rendered High Court of Justice is final, and the case file will be forwarded to the Constitutional Court, which will rule on the exceptions brought up.

Late November, The Bucharest Court of Appeals scheduled for December 13 the trial of Syrian businessman Mustafa Tartoussi, investigated in connection with the escape of Hayssam.

Late November, prosecutors sent Tartoussi to court.

The prosecutors said they cleared the circumstances of Hayssam’s escape and asked for the arrest of Tartoussi. Tartoussi is suspected of allegedly helping Hayssam to escape on one of his boats.

Syrian businessman Hayssam fled Romania while under a terrorism inquiry for his role in the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq two years ago.

Hayssam is the subject of an international arrest warrant after he was sentenced by the Bucharest Court of Appeals to 20 years in prison for his role in the kidnapping of the Romanian journalists. He fled Romania shortly after he was paroled on medical grounds in the first half of 2006.

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