BUCHAREST - The kidnappers of three Romanian journalists who went missing in Baghdad last week were described as a group of rebels with no political demands by Iraq's ambassador to Romania here on Tuesday.
"This was not an action followed by political demands," Iraqi ambassador Abdel Murad was quoted by national radio as saying, after a meeting with Senate speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu.
Murad added on national radio here that the journalists were kidnapped by "rebels opposing the democratisation of Iraq, who are currently under pressure from the Iraqi people and Iraqi religious organisations" for the hostages to be "released as quickly as possible without ransom."
Journalist Marie-Jeanne Ion and her cameraman Eduard Ohanesian from Prima TV and Sorin Miscoci of the Romanian daily Libera, were taken hostage March 28 along with their guide, Iraqi-American Mohamed Munaf, on the outskirts of Baghdad.
A video of the visibly frightened hostages was broadcast March 30 by the Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera.
A Romanian television station on Friday showed a new photograph of the three Romanian hostages, standing and surrounded by armed kidnappers.
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Friday reassured the journalists' families the government was doing all it could to win their release.
04/05/2005 13:27 GMT