Cecenia: Medico di MSF liberato dopo 2 anni

["F A B I O C C H I::" <eco_fabiocchi@tin.it>]

April 12, 2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/12/international/europe/12CHEC.html
Dutch Worker in Chechnya Is Released After 2 Years
By SETH MYDANS
     
MOSCOW, April 11 - A Dutch aid worker kidnapped almost two years ago near the lawless region of Chechnya was freed in a police operation on Sunday and returned to Moscow after months of failed attempts to negotiate his release.

The aid worker, Arjan Erkel, 35, who headed the North Caucasus mission of Doctors Without Borders, had been seized by masked gunmen in an area terrorized by kidnappings by both the military and rebel fighters.

[Mr. Erkel flew on to Rotterdam late Sunday, news agencies said.]

"I want to thank M.S.F. for having freed me of this nightmare," Mr. Erkel said in Moscow, referring to the French initials of his group Médécins Sans Frontières. He had grown a beard and lost weight during his 20 months as a hostage.

In a statement in Moscow, his group said, "First indications are that, for the circumstances, Arjan is in good health."

In the Netherlands, the foreign minister, Bernard Bot, said his government had been instrumental in the release.

"I feel fantastic," Mr. Erkel said. "I thank the Lord that he has brought me back to life." Then, using an Arabic expression that means "if God is willing," he said, "Inshallah, tonight I will be home."

Mr. Erkel was freed in Dagestan, a republic of Russia that adjoins Chechnya. A Dagestani official told local reporters that the release was a result of an operation involving intelligence agents and ministry forces, but did not give details.

Earlier, the aid group said that it did not know who had been holding Mr. Erkel and that no ransom demands had been made.

Last month, having lost patience with both Russian and Dutch actions that had failed to free Mr. Erkel, officials of the group suggested that Russian and Dagestani officials had been complicit in the abduction.

Citing Russian news reports regarding official involvement, they said the kidnapping might have been staged as a warning to other aid groups to stay out of the dangerous region.

Russian troops have been fighting in Chechnya for much of the past decade, and rebel groups have operated from forest camps in a campaign that involves terror tactics on both sides.

In a statement last month, the aid group said Russian and Dagestani authorities claimed to know who was behind the abduction and had shown that they had direct access to the kidnappers.

"It is clear that the Russian authorities hold the keys to solving this case and securing the safe release of Arjan," it said. "By not doing so, they demonstrate their lack of interest in its resolution."

"The abduction of Arjan and the subsequent investigation has been characterized by extreme irregularities," the statement said. "On the night of Arjan's abduction he was followed by two Russian security service operatives who themselves admit that they stood by as he was kidnapped."

It said authorities had failed to follow up on leads and at one point suspended the investigation without telling the aid group.

"Very few aspects of the investigation give us reason to believe that the Russian authorities are really taking this seriously," said Dr. Thomas Nierle, the group's operations director in Switzerland.

"In fact, it is clear that the investigation has been hampered every step of the way," he said. "It appears they are more interested in a cover-up than solving the case."