Syrian Rebels Demanding $50M Ransom in Exchange for Not Executing a Journalist
The captors of a journalist in Syria are threatening to execute her tomorrow (13 December) unless their demands for a $50m ransom are met.
Anhar Kochneva, a reporter with Russian and Ukrainian dual nationality, was kidnapped by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) near the city of Homs at the beginning of October. She was said to be on assignment for several Russian media outlets.
In a video released on 7 November, she appealed to the embassies of Ukraine and Russia, as well as the Syrian government, to meet the demands of her kidnappers.
In a second video, released on 28 November, she made a short statement in Arabic, as above, in which she says that her reason for being in Syria was to act as a translator for "Russian intelligence."
H/T Kapil Komireddi
About the Author
David Frum
David Frum is a contributing editor at Newsweek and The Daily Beast and a CNN contributor. He is the author of eight books, including most recently the e-book WHY ROMNEY LOST and his first novel Patriots, published in April 2012.
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