Marie-Jeanne Ion, one of the three Romanian journalist taken hostage on 28 March and released on 22 May, gave details she refrained to, prior to Florenceâs Aubenas release, this Saturday. Marie-Jeanne Ion, one of the three Romanian journalist taken hostage on 28 March and released on 22 May, gave details she refrained to, prior to Florenceâs Aubenas release, this Saturday.
Jurnalul National: Are you happy, Marie-Jeanne? Marie-Jeanne Ion: What can I tell you? The phone rings off the hook, but starting today I am able to give the media all the information they want from me â¦
JN: How was the meeting with Florence Aubenas? Was she already in that basement cell when you were brought in? MJI: When we were transferred to that hole, on April 1st, we were not told what were the rules we should have abide by: to not talk to one another, to not look at one another. So, the minute I got in I asked: ""Does anyone speak English?", "Quelquâun parle francais?", "Espagnol?" None answered, but later we understood that everybody mastered English. Not too long after that she approached our group and we started to talk to one another.
JN: You said before that that cell was very small, something like two by four meters. All six people were living there? sThe French journalist and her Iraqi guide, plus the three Romanian journalists and their Iraqi guide, transl. notet MJI: I can confirm that we were indeed six people there, but not more than that.
JN: So, I understood that you were laying one next to the other. How did you manage to communicate? MJI: In the last part of our detention we had our mattresses placed one next to the other. sOur captors placed them.t When they took us out for taping the messages they kept asking me: "How many people are you inside?", and I would answer: "How would I know, it is too dark." And then hey will ask "Wh
