SWITZERLAND: TOW RED CROSS WORKERS RELEASED BY KIDNAPPERS IN FORMER SOVIET GEORGIA ARRIVE IN GENEVA

Record ID: 604370

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: TOW RED CROSS WORKERS RELEASED BY KIDNAPPERS IN FORMER SOVIET GEORGIA ARRIVE IN GENEVA
  • Date: 13th August 2000
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (AUGUST 13, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV RED CROSS PLANE CARRYING RELEASED HOSTAGES LANDING AT GENEVA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 0.09 2. SLV FRIENDS AND RELATIVES AWAITING ARRIVAL 0.14 3. MV NATASCIA ZULLINO THEN SOPHIA PROKOFIEFF LEAVING THE PLANE 0.23 4. MV/WS RELEASED WOMEN EMBRACING FAMILY 0.54 5. MV NEWS CONFERENCE 1.01 6. SCU SOUNDBITE (French) ANGELO GNAEDINGER, DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AMERICA AT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)SAYING: "We were immensely relieved when we were able to embrace our colleagues and when we were able to find out that although they had spent nine days in detention, they had not been badly treated and they seemed to be in quite good shape". 1.30 7. CA JOURNALISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE 1.37 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th August 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVABUXRERNSZEL1EQUCKTYVS14O6
  • Story Text: Two Red Cross workers released by kidnappers in former
    Soviet Georgia have arrived in Geneva to an emotional reunion
    with their families.



    Natascia Zullino from Italy and Sophia Prokofieff from
    France looked tired but happy as they stepped off a Red Cross
    plane on Sunday (August 13) to be greeted by members of their
    families, with a Labrador dog in tow, on the tarmac of
    Geneva's international airport. They did not talk to
    reporters.

    The two aid workers and their Georgian driver, Yuri
    Durchiyev were freed unharmed early on Sunday morning by
    villagers who abducted them on August 4 near the border with
    Chechnya.

    Angelo Gnaedinger, director for Europe, Middle East and
    North America at the International Committee of the Red Cross
    (ICRC), said the three had not been maltreated. He said the
    ICRC did not know the motives of the kidnappers.

    "We were immensely relieved when we were able to embrace
    our colleagues and when we were able to find out that although
    they had spent nine days in detention, they had not been badly
    treated and they seemed to be in quite good shape" Gnaedinger
    told reporters in Geneva.

    The three had been working in the Pankisi gorge, home to
    hundreds of refugees fleeing the war in Russia's rebel
    Chechnya region. Their abandoned vehicle was found on a
    mountain road 150 km (95 miles) northeast of Tbilisi.

    Italy and France also expressed relief at the release.

    In Rome, Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini thanked Georgian
    authorities, especially President Eduard Shevardnadze, for
    their efforts.

    French President Jacques Chirac sent "a very warm message"
    to Shevardnadze and telephoned Prokofieff to say how pleased
    he was to hear of the releases, his office in Paris said.


    jr/db


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