Seven kidnapped Estonians on a bicycle tour gone seriously wrong are free after French diplomats negotiated their release in Lebanon.
The men, in their 30s and 40s, were kidnapped at gunpoint after crossing over the border from Syria on their bicycle tour on March 23.
The May 20 video at left is one of two posted on YouTube.com.
The seven arrived at the French embassy in Beirut on Thursday, Sky News reports. There was no immediate word whether a ransom was paid or other conditions of their release.
The French volunteered to help in the case because Estonia doesn't have diplomatic presence in the region.
Armed ambush
The seven were kidnapped when armed men stopped them near the city of Zahle in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley and put them in two white vans.
Early reports attributed the kidnappings to a criminal gang of Lebanese and Syrian nationals, although a recent article says the abductors were part of an unknown fundamentalist group called
Haraket al-Nahda Wal-Islah (Movement for Renewal and Reform), had
reportedly demanded ransom in exchange for the release of the Estonians.
Nine of the kidnappers were reportedly arrested over the past three months.
The kidnappings were a big issue in Estonia, where residents wore yellow ribbons to support their release.
Travel warning
The State Department urges U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of “safety and security concerns.”
“The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence is real. Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee
protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly. …
“A number of extremist groups operate in Lebanon, including some, such as
Hizballah, that the U.S. government has designated
as terrorist organizations. U.S. citizens have
been the target of numerous terrorist attacks in Lebanon in the past …”
“U.S. citizens or other foreigners have sometimes been detained by militants for hours or longer.”
Even so, UK-based RedSpokes bicycle tour outfit offers a 16-day cycling holiday in Syria and Lebanon. The company tells about its route through the Bekaa Valley, where the Estonians were kidnapped:
“We set off today continuing to cycle through the Bekaa valley to
Baalbek. The area is traditionally agricultural and was known as the
'breadbasket' of the Roman Empire. Today the region's wines are gaining
recognition throughout the world notably Ksara and Kefraya. We cycle
through wheat fields and vineyards between snow-capped mountains. The
valley is home to Hezbollah and their distinctive yellow flags can be
seen everywhere, more and more so as we reach Baalbek. A UNESCO World
Heritage site since 1984 the city boasts fine examples of Roman
architecture.”
The Crazy Guy on a Bike website has a report from a cyclist who toured by bicycle through Syria and Lebanon in 2009.
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