(Tbilisi, June 10 2003, 15:17, Civil Georgia) – Reports say gunmen released today three UN observers and their interpreter who had been kidnapped in Kodori gorge, breakaway Abkhazia. Authorities say no ransom has been paid.
The kidnappers released the personal of the UN Observers Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) after the talks with the Georgian authorities, which agreed to provide security guarantees to the kidnappers, thus none of the eight hostage-takers are captured.
According to the unofficial reports kidnappers demanded USD 3 million for UN observers’ release; however neither Georgian authorities, nor UNOMIG agreed to pay the ransom.
Georgian Special Forces held kidnappers’ hideout in the village of Omarishari in Kodori gorge under siege since June 9.
The hostage-takers are supposed to be those jailbreakers, which could escape from Sokhumi prison. Nine persons, including Georgians, Chechens as well as Abkhazians, escaped from Sokhumi prison in April. Some of them were sentenced for death penalty. Abkhaz side has been accusing Tbilisi for harboring jailbreakers in Kodori gorge since.
Georgian President Shevardnadze said on June 9, “we are ready to talk with hostage-takers in order to secure UN observers’ safe release.”
Eight gunmen ambushed UN observers’ truck, while patrolling the troubled Kodori gorge on June 5, and abducted UN observers – Klaus Ott, Herbert Bauer of Germany, Henrik Soerensen of Denmark and their Georgian interpreter Lasha Chikashua.
This is the third case of UN observers’ abduction from the gorge for the past three years. The first two cases ended in release of hostages, who were unharmed. According to the Georgian authorities, in previous cases the hostages were released without paying a ransom.
Nine UN observers and crew died as the UN helicopter was downed by still unidentified attackers in 2001.
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