BAGHDAD (AFP) -- A U.S. citizen and five Iraqi accomplices were sentenced to death in Baghdad this week for kidnapping three Romanian journalists.

The Romanian news agency Mediafax identified the American as 53-year-old Mohammed Munaf, who worked as a guide and interpreter for the reporters and was arrested by U.S. forces shortly after they were released.

Prima TV's reporters were kidnapped by an Iraqi gang in March 2005 and released two months later. Munaf was accused of arranging their disappearance in order to claim a share of any ransom money.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said at the time that his country's intelligence agents had negotiated the release of the journalists and that no ransom was paid.

"We confirm the Central Criminal Court of Iraq has convicted a U.S. citizen and five Iraqi co-defendants ... for the March 2005 kidnapping of three Romanian journalists," the U.S. embassy spokesman said.

"The defendants are sentenced to death," he added. "The American citizen was detained in May 2005. Officials from the U.S. embassy have visited the U.S. citizen during his detention and provided him assistance. "The U.S. embassy in Baghdad continues to work to ensure the welfare of the American citizen and oversee his treatment in accordance with Iraqi law."

At the time of the kidnapping a group identifying itself as the Muadh bin Jabal Brigade had threatened to kill Marie Jeanne Ion, Sorin Dumitru Miscoci and Ovidiu Ohanesian if Romania did not withdraw its 800 troops from Iraq.

But an investigation by Romanian officials led them to accuse Munaf and Omar Hayssam, a Syrian-Romanian businessman, of masterminding the kidnap purely for financial gain. Email Story IM Story Discuss Printable View RECOMMEND THIS STORY Recommend It: Average (13 votes) » Recommended Stories