- Title: FRANCE/FILE: French hostages in "good health" in new video say French authorities
- Date: 22nd December 2010
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 21, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF FRENCH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESMAN, BERNARD VALERO, SAYING: "France will continue to mobilise here in Paris or on the ground over there. We won't spare any effort to achieve our goal. The only goal we have in this hard si
- Embargoed: 6th January 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVA6B5X1KS4H1HPH0J2TNWYJXLUU
- Story Text: A video of two French journalists held hostage in Afghanistan for nearly a year shows them in good health, French authorities said on Tuesday (December 21).
A foreign ministry spokesman said the tape had been authenticated and dated "in all likelihood from November".
Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier, television journalists for France 3, were captured on December 29 last year in Kapisa province, north-east of the capital Kabul, along with their Afghan driver and translator.
"France will continue to mobilise here in Paris or on the ground over there. We won't spare any efforts to achieve our goal. The only goal we have in this hard situation is to obtain the release of our compatriots. So we continue with determination in the same direction and stay mobilised," said Bernard Valero, the French Foreign Minister spokesman.
Meanwhile, the head of France Televisions in Paris, said there was still hope for negotiation.
Interviewed at France Televisions headquarters by some colleagues of Taponier and Ghesquiere, Remy Pflimlin tried to reassure the French network employees on the permanent efforts made by the company of the two hostages to obtain their prompt release.
"We are told that this allows us to say that they are in good shape, which is the main thing for me. It also means that negotiations are still on, because the proof of life is the key element which means that the negotiation process is on," said Remy Pflimlin, France Television CEO.
Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders), a French NGO fighting for the rights of journalists around the world, said in a statement that the content of the video was "worrying" and not sufficient to provide hope only a few days before the first anniversary of their kidnapping. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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