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A year after her abduction Swiss hostage walks free
 [Yemen Post] Sylvia Abrahat, a Swiss national who was kidnapped in March 2012 in the western province of Hodeidah has been freed and has now been flown to Doha in Qatar.The 35-year old woman who was working as a teacher in a local language institute was kidnapped by al-Qaeda militants in broad day light and immediately transferred to one of the terror group stronghold in Abyan - southern province of Yemen - A few months within her abduction - July 2012 - Sylvia made a video appearance, very similar to that of Dominik Neubauer - 23.02.2013 - on YouTube asking for a ransom to be paid against her immediate release. Subsequent reports stressed Sylvia was suffering from deep depression and was having great difficulties coping with the situation altogether. While Yemeni officials remained tight-lipped on Sylvia's mediation operation, having enlisted the help of local tribal leaders to act as mediators with the terror group, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi always insisted he was not at liberty to discuss any details relating to her case due to the sensitivity of the matter. As it turned out it was Qatar intervention which successfully led to Sylvia's release. She departed Yemen late on Wednesday on a place bound for Doha - Qatar - where the Qatari foreign minister and the Swiss ambassador in Doha were waiting to greet her. Upon her arrival on Thursday morning, Sylvia expressed a deep gratitude and happiness to have been set free from her abductors after almost a year of anguish waiting. "I thank the Qatari negotiating team, which had worked for months in silence, patience and wisdom until we reached this result," said Ali bin Fahd al-Hajeri, a Qatari official. Posted by: Fred 2013-03-01 |
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