Atas Abdullah, the Turkish citizen who escaped from Rahova prison, benefited from 24 permits and 72 rewards for good conduct.

Atas Abdullah, a Turkish citizen sentenced to 22 years and 10 months in prison for killing a police officer in 2015, escaped from Rahova Penitentiary during a four-day leave, between January 23 and 26, 2026. Representatives of the penitentiary stated that Abdullah had very good behavior, benefiting from 24 leaves and 72 rewards in recent years. The spokesperson for the penitentiary, Georgiana Ivănescu, explained that leaves are granted based on the inmate's behavior and the credits accumulated through activities in the penitentiary. The Minister of Justice, Radu Marinescu, added that Romanian criminal policy includes a restorative component, allowing for the rehabilitation of inmates, even in the case of serious crimes. Abdullah was wanted by the police but was not found at known addresses. In 2015, he killed a police officer, Gheorghe Ionescu, by hitting him with a car during a traffic stop.