Romania: Man on embassy roof threatens to cut his wrists

A man climbed onto the roof of the German embassy in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, today and threatened to cut his wrists if he didn’t get justice for what he claimed was an unfair conviction in Germany for armed robbery, police said.

Marcel Mitu, 40, held a banner reading “Down with the Red Oligarchy” and “Justice.”

He said he emigrated from Romania to Germany in 1988, but four years later he was arrested for alleged participation in an armed robbery.

He said he spent a year in prison but was innocent and wanted to return to Germany for a retrial, police said in a statement.

Mitu talked for three hours with local police negotiators and fire crews before agreeing to climb down from the roof.

He was granted an audience with a German embassy official to discuss his case.

Mitu was taken to a nearby police station for questioning and was fined around £100 for entering an embassy illegally.