Vasilica Iulian Grosu, 36, the Romanian citizen who set himself on fire in front of the Government building a fortnight ago, died of his injuries.

Grosu was protesting against a ruling of the Spanish courts which took away Andrei, his six year old son, while the two of them were traveling in Spain, and handed the boy to his mother, living there. Romanian courts ruled before that the father was the child’s legal guardian.

Grosu protested for weeks in front of the Romanian Government building before setting himself on fire. He was stating at the time that he felt "too small for such a big war, but that he could not give up on his son."

Grosu’s parents and sister are determined to continue the legal battle started by the boy’s father. They do not hope to achieve getting their grandson and nephew back home, but hope to be allowed to at least talk to him over the phone.

"There are no legal grounds to prevent us from doing this," explains Grosu’s sister. "They sSpanish authoritiest could claim before that my brother breached the law; now he is dead and none of us was ever in breach of the law," explains she.

Grosu’s ordeal started on 25 April 2004, when he left for Spain, accompanied by his son. They were to visit the country and also meet Daniela Badea, Grosu’s former partner and also the boy’s mother. On 7 May 2004 they left for Belgium, where Grosu had friends, after unsuccessfully trying to contact Badea. Grosu did not manage to get to Belgium, however. While riding the highway in Spain, the man was arrested by Guarda Civil and imprisoned in the Picassent penitentiary in Valencia, while his son was taken in the care of social services.

"They sSpanish authoritiest told me that I was under a general arrest warrant in Spain since 2 April. That was impossible: at the time I was still in Romania. It was all her sBadea’st d