Estonian Cyclists Held Captive in Syria and Lebanon

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The seven Estonians who were kidnapped in Lebanon for four months revealed that they were held captive in Lebanon and Syria, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

They told Agence France Presse during a press conference in the Estonian capital Tallinn: “We were held in three different secret locations by the eight terrorists, in both Lebanon and Syria. The big advantage was we were together, and that unity gave us the strength to believe we would see a happy end.”

Madis Paluoja, Jaan Jagomagi, Kalev Kaosaar, Martin Metspalu, Andre Pukk, Priit Raistik and August Tillo were kidnapped on March 23 soon after arriving in Lebanon from Syria.

They said during the press conference that they felt that they were being followed soon after arriving in Lebanon on board their bicycles.

When they were a short distance from Zahle, two cars hit two of the cyclists, while a third was hit repeatedly by the car door, reported As Safir.

The armed assailants then ordered them to get into a van that soon arrived at the scene, continued the Estonians.

In the van, they were stripped of their mobile phones, except for Paluoja who was tempted to send a message to his wife informing her of their ordeal, but he opted against it.

He estimated that they were kept in a hideout in Lebanon and another in Syria, noting that the kidnappers managed to cross between the two countries undetected by the authorities.

He added that all seven of them were never separated, saying that it was likely because the abductors did not have enough secure hideouts to keep them in.

During the second week of the abduction, Jagomagi stated that the kidnappers aggressively ordered them to verify media reports that four of the Estonians were Jews or from Denmark, homeland of a cartoonist who sparked Muslim ire in 2005 for a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed.

The men said that they were kept in a modest hideout, but they never felt hungry.

At one point, they were kept in a warehouse with a metal door and a window with very little sunlight coming through.

The kidnappers allowed them to occasionally open the window, they continued.

Paluoja stated that the captives did not speak to each other when the kidnappers performed their daily prayers, stressing that they were not prevented from speaking, but they felt that they should act as guests.

Jagomagi revealed that the captors were very religious and had urged them to convert to Islam.

They only received word that they will be freed only hours before their release at dawn on Thursday.

The Estonians said that they were transported to the area of Sahel al-Taybeh from Syria where they were given a mobile phone and an Estonian number, which they were ordered to dial at dawn.

The abductors then left them in the isolated location.

The negotiations that led to their release remain shrouded in mystery, reported An Nahar.

Estonia turned to fellow European Union members and NATO allies, notably France, for help because the former Soviet-ruled nation of 1.3 million has only a small diplomatic presence in the Middle East.

So far 14 individuals have been charged with being involved in the abduction, five of whom are still at large, said the daily.

The freed men appeared to be in good health.

Asked if they had been well-treated, Paet responded: "There is nothing human about being taken hostage".

The abductors -- believed to be a previously unknown group called Haraket Al-Nahda Wal-Islah (Movement for Renewal and Reform) -- had reportedly demanded a ransom.

Comments 7
Default-user-icon may 7 (Guest) 16 July 2011, 13:05

i told many months ago they would be in syria,

Default-user-icon Eli (Guest) 16 July 2011, 15:21

I cannot believe that the Syrians had anything to do with this.This is shocking to me.Syrian Agents in Lebanon ? No...WTF. Haret kil meen eido elo.

Default-user-icon Alexander (Guest) 16 July 2011, 15:48

The Syrian history if full of crimes, betrayals and opression. When the minority Baath party took the power, he had to govern by force and violence as a consequence of dictatorship and the absence of popularity. To survive, this minority became addicted to crime and abduction, killing from their own people to reign and to secure themselves. They secured their relation with Israel by giving up Golan height in return of the "nizam". Stupid who thinks that one day the Golan will be retreived by Syria. Israel cannot dream of a more lovely neighbor who prevented any stone to be thrown from his border, assuring a peaceful living for the Israeli settlers. If Syria is strong it's because they know how much the US and Israel are keen for its stability. And since 40 years syrians did not stop bleeding Lebanon especially Christians to turn it into their satellite. They succeeded by making a part of the population their slaves and complices in their crimes.

Default-user-icon Resistance to the Resistance is futile (Guest) 16 July 2011, 16:51

I hope the Estonian cyclists take what their captors told them to heart and convert to Islam. I also urge the people of Jbeil, Jdeideh, Haddath, Baabda and Jezzine to also convert to Islam before it's too late and they are assimilated.

The process of creating the new Islamic Middle East is upon us, it was proclaimed by the Ayatollahs.

Default-user-icon Jüri (Guest) 16 July 2011, 17:05

Thank you to all who helped to release Estonians!
Father of Kalev

Default-user-icon lebanese (Guest) 17 July 2011, 02:05

ذيس إز ذي كلين مني أف سيريا أنس إيران يجي ثنك ذي سان دو وهتفر ذيي وانت

Default-user-icon Proud to be Lebanese (Guest) 17 July 2011, 03:39

We all new they were in Syria, we don't have such things in Lebanon, this is a democratic country. If we do, these are parties controlled by extremist Muslims from either Syrian or Iran or any Muslim country. I urge the Estonians to remain Christians, to neglect the fact the fact they have been put under pressure to convert into Islam. Unfortunately, it seems that Islam is a religion today that forces people to convert by force, not by belief, I am really ashamed and disappointed that Estonians tourists came to discover Lebanon peacefully and unfortunately ended kidnapped by extremists. We Middle Eastern should apologies from Estonia as we gave a very bad image of the Middle East, which also the home of Christianity and Jews as well. We all know that Muslims are trying to create a Muslim Middle East but inshalla the Middle East will stay home to the origins of all religion. John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me"...God Bless