Saturday, July 27, 2013

A Franco-American photographer has freed from captivity in Syria last week was kidnapped by a "Syrian militia"

A Franco-American photographer has freed from captivity in Syria last week was kidnapped by a "Syrian militia" and held for 81 days, his photo agency Polaris Images said.
Jonathan Alpeyrie, who arrived safely in Paris this week, was kidnapped on  April 29 in the town of Yabrud, 75km north of Damascus, the New-York based agency said.
"On July 20, after 81 days in captivity, Alpeyrie was released, driven to Lebanon, and he finally arrived in Paris this week" Polaris said.
All the photographer's equipment was taken from him by his kidnappers, the agency added.
Polaris did not specify whether Alpeyrie's kidnappers were a rebel contingent or one of Syria's feared groups of Shabiha, armed civilians loyal to Assad acting in parallel to the regular army.
French foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot confirmed Alpeyrie's release on Friday but refused to give any information on where he was held, who had detained him and how he was freed.
Contacted by the AFP news agency, Alpeyrie himself refused to comment.
[AFP]

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