BERN, SWITZERLAND – Olivier and Daniela, whose last names are not given by Bern to protect their privacy, are indeed free and the Swiss ambassador has spoken with them: the travelers from Bern were reported by the Pakistan army earlier in the day to have been picked up at a checkpoint and taken to safety.
Video RTS, Swiss public broadcasting
The two were kidnapped in July 2011 by Taliban but escaped. The Taliban reported earlier Thursday that they had released the hostages for a ransom and several prisoners in exchange, but the Swiss Foreign Affairs Department confirmed late afternoon Thursday that they escaped by their own means and no ransom was paid by either Pakistan or Switzerland.
Both appear to be in good health, under the circumstances, and were unharmed, according to Bern. They were taken “by helicopter from the Miranshah region to Peshawar and later to Islamabad”, says Bern. “The FDFA had set up an interdepartmental task force which coordinated the activities of the various services responsible – the Federal Office of Police fedpol, the Federal Intelligence Service, and the cantonal police forces of Bern and Aargau. The Head of the Crisis Management Centre of the FDFA, Ambassador Christian Dussey, was in charge of this task force.”
Pakistan is on the list of countries that the Swiss government warns should be avoided by travelers except in case of emergency and it strongly urges other Swiss citizens to heed the advice offered on its travel advisory pages.
Screen shot of the video posted by the FRC shows the Swiss hostages surrounded by gunmen
PAKISTAN – A Bern couple kidnapped in Pakistan Friday 1 July are reportedly “alive and well” says the FATA Research Centre, FRC, a “non partisan and non-political research organization” based in Islamabad, which has obtained two videos of the hostages.
In one of the videos posted by the FRC, David, 28, a police officer in Bern, calls in English for the release of a “Dr Aafia from US custody” and for the release of Taliban prisoners from Pakistani custody in exchange for the couple’s release.
“Let them go! We are in danger,” says the man.”If you don’t do this, it is possible that we will die,” he added.
In a second video, the Swiss couple is seen surrounded by masked gunmen.
The couple speaking in Swiss-German requests the release of Taliban prisoners. It is believed that one of the videos was shot in late August, the other, in late September.
David, and his traveling companion, Daniela, 31, were kidnapped as they returned to Switzerland, in the Balochistan province, which has borders with Afghanistan and Iran, an area considered dangerous.
The Swiss government advises against non-essential travel there.
Video of the FRC Read more…
Update 21:15 Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss businessman Max Goeldi has surrendered to Libyan authorities and will begin serving his four-month prison sentence for visa violations. His countryman Rachid Hamdani has been given his exit visa Monday late afternoon 22 February, but has not left Tripoli, he told his wife Bruna by phone from Tripoli.
Goeldi had been ordered to appear in court before noon Tripoli time (11:00 in Switzerland) or face unstipulated consequences, it was announced Monday 22 February. It had been understood that Goeldi could stay at the Swiss embassy until the appeals process had been exhausted.
Goeldi is one of two Swiss businessmen held in Tripoli since July 2008 against their will by the Libyan refusal to issue exit visas for them.
Links to other sites: Le Temps, Romandie News, TSR
Hans-Rudolf Merz, Swiss president
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz has no regrets about his actions in the on-going disputes the country has with Libya, he says in a lengthy interview with 20Minuten, the German edition of the daily free newspaper. “I would do everything exactly the same way again.” Switzerland has been trying to obtain the release of two Swiss businessmen held in Tripoli, Libya since July 2008, after the son of Libya’s leader Muammar Qaddafi was arrested in Geneva days earlier.
Merz says he is sure the agreement he signed and the apology he gave to Libya 20 August should have freed the two men. The Swiss government announced at the time that the two would be back in Switzerland by the end of August, and sent an airplane to Tripoli to fly them home.
Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A British lawyer will represent Switzerland in the independent tribunal that will look into the detention in Geneva in 2008 of Hannibal Qaddafi, son of Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi, and his wife.
The Swiss Federal Council has designated Elizabeth Wilmshurst as its third party judge to participate in the tribunal.
