Seven kidnapped Estonians were freed in Lebanon Thursday, almost four months since being abducted by armed men as they entered the country on a bicycle tour from neighbouring Syria.
The seven, all men in their 30s and 40s, appeared on the balcony of the French embassy in the capital Beirut, where they smiled and waved at journalists gathered outside before joining hands and taking a bow.
A police official told AFP the group had been released on Thursday morning in the town of Sahel al-Taybi in the lawless Bekaa Valley, and appeared to be in good health.
The authorities have not disclosed any details in the case. The cyclists, kidnapped at gunpoint in eastern Lebanon on March 23, were staying at the French embassy, as Estonia, a tiny Baltic nation of 1.3 million, has no embassy in Lebanon. They were undergoing a medical examination at the embassy and were to be joined by Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet later on Thursday. They were to travel home to the former Soviet republic the next day. A military judge, Fadi Sawan, questioned the seven Estonians for five hours "on the circumstances of their kidnapping and detention, according to a
judicial official. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed Lebanese security forces were not involved in the release "to prevent any failure," while Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said he was pleased with the "happy ending" but underlined that the case was far from over.
"The case is not closed to Lebanon's judiciary, which will continue its investigation until all details are uncovered and those responsible for the abduction identified," Qortbawi said in a statement.
Since the kidnapping in the Bekaa, the case had been shrouded in mystery, but nine people, Lebanese and foreigners, have been detained in Lebanon in connection with the kidnapping. Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves saluted the men's "resilience and willpower" in a statement on Thursday.
Their plight has drawn widespread support in their homeland, where leaders had taken to wearing yellow ribbons to symbolise hope that they would be released.
The seven Estonians are Kalev Kaosaar, August Tillo, Madis Paluoja, Priit Raistik, Jaan Jagomagi, Andre Pukk and Martin Metspalu. "Our father, sons, husbands and brothers are free! These four months were long and exhausting," the men's relatives said in a joint statement. Andres Metspalu, father of Martin Metspalu, told the Delfi news portal he felt "enormous joy and relief". "If you remember that some are held hostage for years, and ours for just under four months, all went well," he said.
Kalev Kaosaar's father Juri Kaosaar also confirmed the seven were in good shape and that their spirits were high. "I've already talked to my son and both the health and mood of all the men is very good," he told the Estonian daily Postimees. "We were also told that before they can come home, they will undergo
medical checks in Lebanon. And they also have to collect their bikes," which were found at the kidnap scene, he added.
Pukk's mother Maarika told the daily Ohtuleht: "It feels like I have had a new child." "He called and said 'Hi, Mum,' and it was very hard to speak. There were lots of tears, but they are tears of joy. I never lost the hope but there were very hard moments also."
France, which played a leading role in investigating the case, welcomed news of the "happy ending."
"France had been solicited for... logistic and diplomatic aid in the case as Estonia does not have an embassy in Lebanon," said Paris' ambassador to Lebanon, Denis Pietton.
The abductors -- believed to be a previously unknown group called Haraket Al-Nahda Wal-Islah (Movement for Renewal and Reform) -- had reportedly demanded ransom in exchange for the release of the Estonians. The cyclists had appealed for help in videos posted on the Internet in April and May. A third video was emailed to several of their relatives in June. In the first video, the seven called on the leaders of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and France -- but not Estonia -- to help them. They did not present any demands on behalf of their captors nor did they specify what country they were in. Sources following the case said investigators at the time determined the first video was uploaded in the Syrian capital Damascus, leading to speculation that the men had been moved across the border from Lebanon.
A police official told AFP the group had been released on Thursday morning in the town of Sahel al-Taybi in the lawless Bekaa Valley, and appeared to be in good health.
The authorities have not disclosed any details in the case. The cyclists, kidnapped at gunpoint in eastern Lebanon on March 23, were staying at the French embassy, as Estonia, a tiny Baltic nation of 1.3 million, has no embassy in Lebanon. They were undergoing a medical examination at the embassy and were to be joined by Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet later on Thursday. They were to travel home to the former Soviet republic the next day. A military judge, Fadi Sawan, questioned the seven Estonians for five hours "on the circumstances of their kidnapping and detention, according to a
judicial official. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed Lebanese security forces were not involved in the release "to prevent any failure," while Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said he was pleased with the "happy ending" but underlined that the case was far from over.
"The case is not closed to Lebanon's judiciary, which will continue its investigation until all details are uncovered and those responsible for the abduction identified," Qortbawi said in a statement.
Since the kidnapping in the Bekaa, the case had been shrouded in mystery, but nine people, Lebanese and foreigners, have been detained in Lebanon in connection with the kidnapping. Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves saluted the men's "resilience and willpower" in a statement on Thursday.
Their plight has drawn widespread support in their homeland, where leaders had taken to wearing yellow ribbons to symbolise hope that they would be released.
The seven Estonians are Kalev Kaosaar, August Tillo, Madis Paluoja, Priit Raistik, Jaan Jagomagi, Andre Pukk and Martin Metspalu. "Our father, sons, husbands and brothers are free! These four months were long and exhausting," the men's relatives said in a joint statement. Andres Metspalu, father of Martin Metspalu, told the Delfi news portal he felt "enormous joy and relief". "If you remember that some are held hostage for years, and ours for just under four months, all went well," he said.
Kalev Kaosaar's father Juri Kaosaar also confirmed the seven were in good shape and that their spirits were high. "I've already talked to my son and both the health and mood of all the men is very good," he told the Estonian daily Postimees. "We were also told that before they can come home, they will undergo
medical checks in Lebanon. And they also have to collect their bikes," which were found at the kidnap scene, he added.
Pukk's mother Maarika told the daily Ohtuleht: "It feels like I have had a new child." "He called and said 'Hi, Mum,' and it was very hard to speak. There were lots of tears, but they are tears of joy. I never lost the hope but there were very hard moments also."
France, which played a leading role in investigating the case, welcomed news of the "happy ending."
"France had been solicited for... logistic and diplomatic aid in the case as Estonia does not have an embassy in Lebanon," said Paris' ambassador to Lebanon, Denis Pietton.
The abductors -- believed to be a previously unknown group called Haraket Al-Nahda Wal-Islah (Movement for Renewal and Reform) -- had reportedly demanded ransom in exchange for the release of the Estonians. The cyclists had appealed for help in videos posted on the Internet in April and May. A third video was emailed to several of their relatives in June. In the first video, the seven called on the leaders of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and France -- but not Estonia -- to help them. They did not present any demands on behalf of their captors nor did they specify what country they were in. Sources following the case said investigators at the time determined the first video was uploaded in the Syrian capital Damascus, leading to speculation that the men had been moved across the border from Lebanon.
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