- Title: FILE: IRAN/BELGIUM: Belgian man taken hostage in Iran released by bandit captors
- Date: 15th September 2007
- Summary: (EU) TEHRAN, IRAN (FILE) (REUTERS) CAR PARKED OUTSIDE BELGIAN EMBASSY EXTERIOR OF ENTRANCE TO BELGIAN EMBASSY CLOSE UPS OF SIGN FOR BELGIAN EMBASSY ABOVE ENTRANCE FLAGS ON EXTERIOR WALL OF BUILDING ENTRANCE TO BELGIAN EMBASSY
- Embargoed: 30th September 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA3AV26ERKCQ31JL68FXTOZ4QPF
- Story Text: A Belgian tourist kidnapped by bandits in southeast Iran last month was freed on Friday (September 14), the official IRNA news agency reported.
An unnamed Interior Ministry official was quoted by IRNA as saying the man was released "thanks to the efforts of the security forces".
In Brussels, a Belgian foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that the kidnapped man, Stefaan Boeve, had been freed but gave no further details.
Boeve and a Belgian woman were kidnapped while driving in an area between the historic city of Bam and Iran's border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iranian news reports said at the time.
The woman hostage was released a few days later.
The kidnappers were led by a man identified as Ismael Shahbakhsh. He demanded his jailed brother be freed in return for their release.
The IRNA report on Friday did not say whether Shahbakhsh's demand was met. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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