Romania-s ex-President Ion Iliescu, a former Communist official who led Romania in the wake of the fall of the Ceausescu regime, was booed by several youths at a book fair in Bucharest, during a ceremony in which he launched a new book on the events in 1989 and the following period.

The youngsters belonged to a group named "the New Hooligans" - a term used in reference to protesters who took to the streets in 1990 to challenge the new neo-communist leadership of the country and who were named "hooligans" by Iliescu, then head of state.

The group booing him at the Bucharest Bookfest fair on Thursday held banners against Iliescu, who was launching his volume "20 Years After - 1989 a landmark year in national history and in international life".

The leader of the group, George Simion, told Hotnews.ro that following the event this morning he was taken to a police station where he was fined for acts against public order, a fine which he would challenge as what he only did was ask the ex-President a question.