Indonesian Journalists Freed in Iraq

21/02/2005| IslamWeb

Two Indonesian journalists taken hostage in Iraq have been freed by their abductors and are being taken to Baghdad, a member of the Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS) in Ramadi says.

 

A member of the influential Sunni body said on Monday: "The two Indonesians have been freed and will be transferred to the headquarters of the association in Baghdad, where they will have the choice of going to their embassy or leaving Iraq."

 

He said the reporters, who were on assignment for Metro TV, had been freed in Ramadi.

 

The two Indonesians, female reporter Meutya Hafid and cameraman Budiyanto, were abducted last week as they were driving along a road close to Ramadi en route from Jordan to Baghdad. 

 

Family, ministry happy

 

Meutya's sister, Fitri, told Aljazeera.net she was contacted by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, telling her they saw a video confirming the release of the journalists.

 

"I'm very glad to hear the news," she said, but added that she still had not heard from her sister and still did not know her exact whereabouts.

 

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta, Marti Nata Ligawa, told Aljazeera.net that "the whole nation is elated by the release of our journalists".

 

"We heard the reports and seen the video of their release and we have no reason to doubt these reports," said Ligawa.

 

"We are yet to confirm their location and need to get more information as well as work on their evacuation from Iraq."

 

Ligawa added that besides working with religious leaders in Iraq, his government was working with the United Arab Emirate's Red Crescent to facilitate the pair's exodus.

 

The Indonesian embassy in Baghdad is currently closed, but the First Secretary of the Indonesian embassy in Amman, Mushryfun Lajawa, told Aljazeera.net his office was still waiting for more news and could not confirm the release.

 

Video of release

 

The video and still photos delivered anonymously to Associated Press Television News showed the pair shaking hands with a fighter who read a statement announcing they were being freed.

 

It was not possible to determine when the video was made and the hostages' release could not be independently confirmed.

 

The kidnapping had been claimed by a previously unknown armed group calling itself Jaish al-Mujahidin (Army of Warriors). 

 

Metro TV confirmation

 

News director of Metro TV, Don Bosco, told Aljazeera.net he was sure of the release of the journalists as he had seen the pictures that showed they were fine and read the statements of their release.

 

"We are very glad to hear the news and we are going to  run breaking news about their release right now on our TV station," he said, adding that the pair had been released "without any conditions".

 

Bosco said it had been difficult for him to reach the journalists. "Hopefully we will be able to reach them sooner or later."

 

In a statement distributed to the press, the group said it freed the journalists "after being assured about their identity, and offers its apologies to the Indonesian people".

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION    

 

A U.S. Army soldier examines the body of one of two Iraqi Police officers killed on a busy intersection in central Mosul, Iraq. (AP)