Marie-Jeanne Ion is a 32-year-old reporter for Prima TV. She was seized along with Sorin Miscoci, Eduard Ohanesian and Muhammad Munaf shortly after an interview with the interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. The kidnapping is believed to have taken place near the journalists' hotel in the upscale Jadriya district.

Ms. Ion managed to call her newroom during or immediately after the kidnapping, and colleagues overheard her speaking to the kidnappers. She also sent a text message notifying them of the kidnapping and pleading for help later still.

On March 30, a video showing the four hostages, flanked by gunmen, was released. No demands were stated.

According to reports, the group decided to release the hostages in response to calls by influential Saudi preacher Salman al-Odeh and Muslims in Romania. The Romanian government has strongly denied that any ransom or concessions in foreign policy were exchanged for the hostages.

After the release of Florence Aubenas and Hussein Al-Saadi, the Romanians diclosed that they had all been held together between April 1 up until the time of the Romanians' release.