New York, September 11, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is concerned that Iosif Costinas, a 62 year-old reporter for the Romanian independent daily Timisoara, has been missing since early June.
Costinas’ journalism focused on highly sensitive political issues, including a number of unsolved murders that occurred during the 1989 anti-communist revolt, which began in the western city of Timisoara, as well as the continued presence of communist-era secret police agents in the government.
Prior to his disappearance, Costinas was also working on a book about organized crime, according to The Associated Press.
“We believe it is very probable that his disappearance is connected to what he wrote,” Laurian Ieremeiov, the deputy editor of Timisoara, told The AP.
CPJ continues to monitor the case.
