Voice of America
21 Sep 2019, 23:35 GMT+10
ADDIS ABABA - An Iranian man held by Somali pirates for more than four years was flown to Ethiopia's capital Saturday after his captors released him because he needed urgent medical care.
The release of Mohammad Shariff Panahandeh means just three hostages remain in the custody of Somali pirates, according to the Hostage Support Partnership, the charity that negotiated his release.
His health had deteriorated significantly in recent weeks, lending new urgency to efforts to secure his freedom, John Steed of the Hostage Support Partnership told AFP on Saturday.
"He's severely malnourished. He lost a huge amount of weight. It reminded me of someone who's just been released from Belsen [a Nazi] concentration camp," Steed said.
Shariff is also suffering from "severe stomach problems and internal bleeding," Steed said.
Shariff arrived in Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from the city of Garowe. He will receive some medical care in Ethiopia before being flown home to Iran, Steed said.
Shariff was captured with three other men in March 2015 after an attack on the Iranian fishing vessel FV Siraj.
Officials with the Iranian embassy in Addis Ababa could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Steed said no ransom was paid for Shariff, but that the pirates were likely to try to hold out for large sums before letting the other three go.
In a statement announcing Shariff's release, the Hostage Support Partnership said Somali community leaders had been crucial in the negotiations.
Steed said the same kind of local involvement would likely be needed in the case of the final three hostages.
"We need to get them out," he said.
Pirate attacks on maritime vessels off the Somali coast peaked at 176 in 2011 before falling off sharply in recent years.
Get a daily dose of International Travel News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to International Travel News.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Nvidia, the Silicon Valley chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom, this week briefly...
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 13 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is scheduled to go on an official visit to...
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 13 (ANI): In association with the Embassy of Nepal in India, PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre organised...
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 13 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has praised Pune MP and Union Minister...
Rajouri, (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 13 (ANI): Construction work on the Megha Budhal-Mahore-Gool Road in Jammu and Kashmir's...
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 12 (ANI): Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Indian Army continues...