Freed hostages well

2004-04-15 15:10

Baghdad - Three Japanese hostages were released on Thursday in Baghdad, Sheikh Abdul Salam Kubaissi, an official at the Committee of Muslim Scholars told AFP.

"The three have been released," said Kubaissi, confirming that they were at the committee headquarters at the Um al-Qura mosque in west Baghdad.

"They are in very good health," he added.

Volunteer workers Noriaki Imai, 18, Nahoko Takato, 34, and photojournalist Soichiro Koriyama, 32, were abducted by a group calling itself the "Mujahedeen Brigades" on April 8.

The kidnappers had threatened to start executing the hostages by April 12 unless Japan withdrew its 550 troops, in Iraq for humanitarian reasons. Tokyo rejected the demands.

In tears

Al-Jazeera television showed footage of the trio chatting with Kubaissi at the committee, one of the main Sunni Muslim bodies in Iraq. Takato was in tears.

The committee said in a statement that "we received the three hostages this morning and they are in good health. We have handed them over to the Japanese embassy".

The committee "thanked this group (the abductors) for its response to our call" for the freedom of the Japanese hostages.

It also urged Japanese "officials, organisations and humanitarian groups" to exert pressure on the US-led occupation forces to "release all Iraqi female detainees who ... are subjected to inhumane treatment in jail".

Coalition officials have said around 40 foreigners are currently held hostage in Iraq but they insist there will be no negotiating with kidnappers demanding the withdrawal of foreign troops or the release of prisoners.

Italy announced on Thursday that one of four Italian hostages held in Iraq had been murdered.

The kidnappers threatened to kill another three Italians "one by one" unless Italian troops leave the country.

- AFP