06.03.2010
Within nearest ten days Somali pirates will release British couple taken hostage in Oct 2009 near Seychelles.
According to Somali official, talks with pirate gang are "successfully progress and in the nearest future Paul and Rachel Chandler voyaged on their yacht
Lynn Rival will be free". Deputy speaker of parliament Mohamed Omar Dalha said Somali authorities called for pirates to release the couple without any preconditions, informs
ITAR-TASS referring to
Evening Standard.
60-year old Paul Chandler and his 56-year old wife Rachel were captured by Somali pirates on Oct 23, 2009 in Indian Ocean when sailing coastwise East Africa heading for Tanzania. The couple is held hostage separately in central Somali.
Pirates demanded a $7 mln ransom and circulated videotape where they menaced to kill the captives. However, relatives of hostages said the couple had gone into retirement not long ago and went to world cruise having bought a yacht on their slender savings. Besides, they don't have enough money to pay ransom. British Government said it would not pay for hostage extraction on principle.
Source: , photo: Somali pirates (Vesti.Ru)
