Three Spanish reporters kidnapped in Syria freed
Three Spanish reporters who had been kidnapped in Syria around 10 months ago have been freed, the Spanish government says.
According to a statement released by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's office on Saturday, Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez, and Angel Sastre, are alive and in good health.
Acting Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria has spoken to the trio over the phone. They had gone missing near the northwestern Syrian city Aleppo on July 12, the statement further read.
The Spanish Press Federation (FAPE) has confirmed their release noting that all three “are on their way” back to Spain.
Elsa Gonzalez, the FAPE director, noted that their return was cause for "joy and emotion," adding that "work by reporters like these elevates journalism."
Spanish media outlets, including El Pais, reported that they were held by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terror group.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Syria has become one of most dangerous countries in the world for journalists since the fighting broke out.
Syria peace process gaining momentum
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the Syria peace process have made more progress in the past few weeks than during the last five years.
A “framework acceptable to all” has been reached between the key players, including not only “the United States and Russia, but also Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia,” he added during an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung daily newspaper published on Saturday. “Giving up and looking away is not an option,” he said.
“There is no military solution, only political negotiations can restore peace to Syria,” he said, adding “We cannot afford another five years of war, displacement and destruction in Syria.”
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced over half of the Arab country's pre-war population of about 23 million.
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