An Iraqi court ruling a week ago, which condemned to the death penalty Mohammad Munaf for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq last year, took by surprise both Romanian officials and public opinion.
Authorities in Bucharest, at least, said last Saturday they knew nothing of the fact.
Not so, seem to prove documents released to Jurnalul national Friday by Munafâs American lawyer, Jonathan Hafetz.
According to them, an American officer, Lt Robert Pirone, a lawyer with the Liaison Office to the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad, was in court to present Romaniaâs official complaint against Munaf.
Romanian authorities continue to deny knowing of the trial and of any foreign official representing Romania.
At least this is the position of the Ministry of Justice, according to Razvan Radu, head of the International Law and Treaties Division.
"The Ministry did not delegate any American officer to represent the Romanian Government in the Iraqi court," Radu said.
"It made no sense to do that, as long as Romania has its own jurisdiction over the matter, and the right to bring Munaf to trial. From the onset Romanian prosecutors conducted their own investigation and presented it to Romanian courts for trial. Both Iraqi and American authorities were dully notified," added Radu.
Both Romania and Iraq have the right to bring Munaf to trial as the crime he allegedly committed was perpetrated against Romanian citizens on Iraqi soil.
"We are faced here with conflicting jurisdictions, but never did Romanian authorities, be they courts or prosecutorâs offices, transfer their jurisdiction to the Iraqi authorities," Radu said.
The information relayed to Jurnalul national originated in the Thursday trial papers, in which the District Columbia Court rejected a request from Munafâ