BUCHAREST - With the clock ticking down on an execution ultimatum, Romanians gathered in solidarity for three journalists kidnapped in Iraq, waving their photos at rallies and offering prayers at masses on Sunday.
The captors of the three journalists -- reporter Marie-Jeanne Ion, cameraman Sorin Miscoci and correspondent Eduard Ohanesian -- on Friday threatened to kill them unless Romania pledged within four days to withdraw its 860-strong military contingent from Iraq.
Two days before the ultimatum expired, demonstrations took place in several cities, including a gathering of 500 people at University square in Bucharest.
"I have come to ask the government to spare no effort in saving the journalists," said Irina Miclea, a student at the gathering.
Bucharest said Saturday it had managed to contact the kidnappers, but gave no details of the message nor any indication of whether it would bend to their demands, made in a video broadcast by Al-Jazeera television.
Among the demonstrators in the capital were around 100 people from Romania's tens of thousands strong Arab community, which has been in the spotlight since the kidnapping was linked to a Romanian-Syrian businessman.
"I'm ready to go to Iraq and become a hostage in place of the journalists," said one young man, who would only reveal his name was Ahmed.
Prayers were also offered for the three journalists at Orthodox churches on Sunday.
"We pray for our brothers and sisters Marie-Jeanne Ion, Sorin Miscoci and Eduard Ohanesian, who are in grave danger in Iraq, to return home safe and sound," said the Orthodox patriarch Teoctist at one mass attended by some of the hostages parents.
04/24/2005 15:42 GMT