(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of the Interior Alfredo Lim, RSF expressed its concern about the kidnapping of Andreas Lorenz, a reporter with the German weekly “Der Spiegel”, by the group Abu Sayyaf, in Jolo. RSF urged the minister to do everything in his power to secure the journalist’s immediate release. “Our organisation […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of the Interior Alfredo Lim, RSF expressed its concern about the kidnapping of Andreas Lorenz, a reporter with the German weekly “Der Spiegel”, by the group Abu Sayyaf, in Jolo. RSF urged the minister to do everything in his power to secure the journalist’s immediate release. “Our organisation also asks you to take all necessary measures to ensure that journalists can work freely and safely in Jolo,” added RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard.
According to information collected by RSF, four men from the armed separatist group Abu Sayyaf seized Lorenz on 2 July 2000, while he was trying to establish contact with the twenty hostages who have been held by rebels in Jolo for more than two months. The journalist was kidnapped a first time in June, with a group of nine other journalists. They had to pay a ransom of US$25,000 dollars (24,000 euros) to secure their release. Galib Andang, one of the Abu Sayyaf group’s leaders, said that journalists would no longer be authorised to visit hostages. He also said that no new press releases would be issued until authorities in Manila complied with their wishes to create an independent Muslim state.
