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Hostage Freed in Yemen, Russian Doctor

by sara star | September 11, 2009 at 03:43 am

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An unnamed Russian doctor was kidnapped yesterday in Yemen.

The doctor, who works in a hospital in Shabwah, was seized in the neighboring province of Marib while he was traveling to the capital Sanaa.

Nine foreigners were kidnapped in June - 3 were found dead and 6 still missing. What is the threat? The government blames the Shiite Muslim rebels in this poorest of Arab countries. They have been battling three conflicts in the last five years - the Shiite rebels in the north, a southern separatist movement, and a resurgent al-Qaeda.

Kidnappings are common in Yemen and hostages are usually freed, but in June nine foreigners were kidnapped and three were later found dead.

Today the doctor was released, after demands of the kidnappers were met.

A Russian doctor was released by tribesmen in northeastern Yemen following a day of captivity after authorities met the kidnappers’ demands, an official said.

...The captors allowed the doctor to go free today in return for the release of a relative of the tribesmen who faces a criminal case, said the local official, who declined to be identified because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

Tribesmen in majority Sunni-Muslim Yemen have frequently kidnapped foreigners in similar cases to put pressure on the central government to release jailed family members or to demand more funds to meet local needs. The hostages have usually been released unharmed.