German Hostages Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke Freed

Good news indeed! These men were last seen in a terrorist video released on January 27th. The terrorist group called Tawhid and Sunnah brigade had threatened to kill them unless Germany met their demands which were that Germany cut off all diplomatic and trading ties with the new Iraqi government.

Reuters via Alertnet :The two men were abducted on Jan. 24 outside their workplace in the industrial town of Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said they had been freed without warning and appeared to be unharmed.

"I am very pleased to inform you that the two kidnapped men from Leipzig, Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke, have been freed today," Steinmeier said in a statement. He said the men, being looked after in Germany's embassy in Baghdad, were expected to return home on Wednesday.

"After spending more than three months under inhumane conditions they are in German care," added Steinmeier, who was on an official visit to Chile.

Since the kidnapping, hundreds of people had gathered in their hometown of Leipzig, eastern Germany, for weekly vigils, placing flowers and lighting candles.

Rusty said in his January 27th post, “We pray for their speedy release.” Our prayers and the prayers of these men’s families and of the German people have been answered. And may they have a safe and speedy journey back to Germany to their loved ones.

Additional background here and here.

The Jawa ReportÂ’s Hostage Archive.

Hostatge support and news is one of our missions here. If any reader knows of a hostage story that needs attention email Rusty or I at the addresses on the contacts page.

Update : Braeunlich and Nitzschke have arrived in Germany and have given a brief statement. The German government refused to release details on how their release was secured.

ABCNEWS : "We are very happy to still be alive, which we don't take for granted," Nitzschke said.

"I am happy to be back home," Braeunlich said. "We had a difficult time."

After their statements, they boarded a minivan that government officials said would take them to a private reunion with their families.

The pair were released Tuesday after being held hostage since Jan. 24. The Foreign Ministry declined to provide details on how the pair were freed including whether a ransom was paid citing safety reasons.

Sounds like they may have paid a ransom. I hope not. The release could be a product of ongoing negitiations between the Iraqi government and some insurgent groups. If you prefer one of our other co-bloggers their contacts are avialable as well. They are all fine bloggers and glad to help.

Posted by: Howie at 01:06 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 453 words, total size 4 kb.