FRANCE/FILE: Pictures of the two French hostages in Afghanistan screened on Arc de Triomphe to mark 1st anniversary

Record ID: 722306

  • Title: FRANCE/FILE: Pictures of the two French hostages in Afghanistan screened on Arc de Triomphe to mark 1st anniversary
  • Date: 30th December 2010
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 29, 2010) (REUTERS) ARC DE TRIOMPHE LIT UP MESSAGE SAYING "FREE STEPHANE AND HERVE AND THEIR 3 COLLEAGUES" PROJECTED ON ARC DE TRIOMPHE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TWO HOSTAGES PROJECTED ONTO ARC DE TRIOMPHE PAN FROM PHOTOGRAPH OF STEPHANE TAPONIER TO PHOTOGRAPH OF HERVE GHESQUIERE ARC DE TRIOMPHE AND TRAFFIC WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTION MAN WATCHING SCREENING FROM TERRACE OVERLOOKING CHAMPS ELYSEES CONTROL ROOM FOR PROJECTION VARIOUS OF HEAD OF REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS JEAN-FRANCOIS JULLIARD MESSAGING ON HIS PHONE PHOTOGRAPH OF HERVE GHESQUIERE (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEAN-FRANCOIS JULLIARD, HEAD OF REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, SAYING: "We have the feeling they could be kept even longer, they could be detained for many weeks or months again, so we don't understand and we really want to ask French authorities and French government why it is so long, we don't understand the reasons, we don't understand why they have not been back yet." ARC DE TRIOMPHE WITH PROJECTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEAN-FRANCOIS JULLIARD, HEAD OF REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, SAYING: "We are very critical against the French government because during the first weeks of their detention the French authorities and Nicolas Sarkozy himself and his deputies were very critical against the two journalists Herve and Stephane saying they took too many risks, so we have the feeling it was not a priority for the French authorities to secure their release and this is the reason why we are so angry today and why the families of the two hostages are so angry as well." PEOPLE ON TERRACE TAKING PICTURES OF THE PROJECTION PHOTOGRAPH OF STEPHANE TAPONIER PROJECTED ON ARCH ARC DE TRIOMPHE CHAMPS ELYSEES WITH TRAFFIC/ ARC DE TRIOMPHE ARC DE TRIOMPHE CHAMPS ELYSEES WITH TRAFFIC/ ARC DE TRIOMPHE
  • Embargoed: 14th January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Communications,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADL2N0OM5RYQ9WS5ZXRDER7Q82
  • Story Text: The first anniversary of the detention of two French journalists held hostage in Afghanistan is marked with their photographs projected onto the Arc de Triomphe.
    Reporters without Borders projected on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris the photographs of two French journalists held hostage in Afghanistan for a year.
    The message "Free Stephane and Herve and their three colleagues" was projected on the famous arch on the Champs Elysees along with their photographs early on Wednesday (December 29) morning.
    Reporters without Borders have been critical of the French government and say more could have been done to secure the journalists' release.
    "We are very critical against the French government because during the first weeks of their detention the French authorities and Nicolas Sarkozy himself and his deputies were very critical against the two journalists Herve and Stephane saying they took too many risks, so we have the feeling it was not a priority for the French authorities to secure their release and this is the reason why we are so angry today and why the families of the two hostages are so angry as well," Reporters without Borders head Jean-Francois Julliard told Reuters.
    France Televisions, the company employing the two journalists, released a video which will be broadcast on France 2 and 3 and other networks in the France Televisions Group for one day only on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the hostage-taking.
    After meeting France's defence minister Alain Juppe last weekend, President Hamid Karzai promised the "full support" of Afghan authorities in efforts to free the two French journalists.
    The parents of the hostages have broken their silence, with the mother of Stephane Taponier, Arlette Taponier, expressing frustration in the French press at the lack of progress in freeing her son.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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