Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier are free!

After 18 months held captive in Afghanistan, the two French journalists Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier their Afghan colleagues Mohammed Reza, Ghulam and Satar were released on Wednesday.



Radio stations in France interrupted normal service to report the news of the two mens' release and when it was announced in the French National Assembly, parliamentarians of all political persuasions delivered a standing ovation.

Interviewed on Europe 1's evening news and current affairs programme, Ghesquière's partner Béatrice Coulon said she had just been on the 'phone to him and he seemed in good form, all things considered.

"Hervé is amazing. He just seemed to have so much energy (over the 'phone)," said Coloun, laughing and somewhat breathless with excitement.

"I'm so happy that he's coming home," she continued.

"He said we hadn't spent much time together recently and at it was important that he return home before the holiday season started so that we could at least spend the summer together."

Couloun also said that Ghesquièr had told her he had spent the last eight months in solitary confinement with poor sanitary conditions and had lost some weight.

"All the time he was talking to me, he was laughing and joking," she said.

His attitude is incredible. It's as though he just left me yesterday. I cannot explain how happy I am."

Speaking from Afghanistan, a fellow France 3 journalist Pierre Babey told BFM TV that he had seen both Ghesquièr and Taponier at the French embassy in Kabul.

We were in the embassy courtyard when the car carrying them both arrived," he said.

"We had expected to see them much thinner than they turned out to be and they appeared to be in excellent health and humour" he continued.

"When we spoke to them, Stéphane asked for the latest news on FC Nantes, the football team he supports and Hervé asked the ambassador not to give them beans or rice as that's basically what they had been eating for the past 18 months."

Ghesquière and Taponier are expected to fly home to France tommorrow, arriving at eight o'clock in the morning local time.

Welcome home!

Brother of French hostage in Afghanistan is losing confidence

The brother of one of the two French hostages being held in Afghanistan says he's losing confidence in the French government's ability to secure their release.

Stéphane Taponier and Hervé Ghesquière, staff journalists for the French television channel France 3, were taken captive along with three Afghan colleagues in December 2009 as they were travelling in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province around 120 kilometres northeast of the capital Kabul.

On Friday Taponier's brother, Thierry, told the all-news channel i>Télé that he didn't share the French government's optimism about the release of the two men.

Thierry Taponier (screenshot from Dailymotion audio recording of Europe 1 interview)

He was talking after the broadcast of an audio message apparently from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden warning that France would "pay dearly for its policy in Afghanistan and that the release of the hostages would depend on French troops being withdrawn."

"This is a blow to us and comes when we least expected it because just a while ago François Fillion (the French prime minister) told us that he was optimistic about the fate of Stéphane and Hervé," he said.

"Now we're stunned at the difference between the positive things the (French) State is saying and the negative side of the kidnappers," he continued.

"I'm starting to lose confidence in what the government can achieve in Afghanistan, certainly in this case."

Picture of the two French hostages projected on to the Arc de Triomphe on the day marking the first anniversary of their capture (screenshot i>Télé report)

While the French government has at various times issued statements insisting that negotiations for the release of the two men are progressing, their families have by and large been hesitant about talking to the media.

Their silence was broken in December last year when both Taponier's father and brother expressed their frustrations and concerns.

Earlier this month the French prime minister, François Fillion, said that discussions with the kidnappers were "very advanced" and that he thought that there "could only be a positive outcome."

Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier - a year in captivity

It's a year since French journalists Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier were kidnapped in Afghanistan and events are being organised throughout France to mark the anniversary.

Screenshot from YouTube video paying hommage to the two journalists and their colleagues

On Tuesday the families of the two men were invited to the Élysée palace to watch a video sent by the captors to the French authorities and reportedly filmed in November.

It apparently showed the two men alive and "calm but emaciated".

Ghesquière and Taponier, staff journalists for the French public television station France 3, were taken captive, along with three Afghan colleagues - Mohammed Reza, Ghulam and Satar - as they were travelling in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province around 120 kilometres northeast of the capital Kabul.

While the French government has at various times issued statements insisting that negotiations for the release of the two men are progressing, they remain captive and their families have spoken to the media for the first time about their frustrations.

"When the foreign minister) Michele Alliot-Marie speaks of a 'short time', we say to ourselves it's imminent," Taponier's father Gérard told Agence France Presse,

"And then Christmas is already gone... We are still hoping for good news, but it gets you down."

It was a sentiment echoed by Taponier's brother, Thierry, who told Europe 1 radio that they had constantly been promised that things were moving but little seemed to happen.

"We're in a kind of limbo," he said.

"In spite of what government ministers and politicians have said, we have absolutely no idea what's happening there (in Afghanistan) and why things aren't advancing."


Thierry Taponier : "on est dans le flou"
envoyé par Europe1fr. - L'actualité du moment en vidéo.

To mark the anniversary of the two men being taken hostage, a rally will be held outside the Hôtel de Ville (Town hall) in Paris with a portrait of Ghesquière and Taponier being hung from the facade of the building and a candlelight vigil later in the day.

Similar rallies will take place in towns and cities across the country and in Montpellier, the home city of Taponier, a charity concert is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Over the past year the campaign to secure their release has been supported by colleagues, with a constant reminder of their captivity at the end of news bulletins, sports stars who appeared in a video clip appealing for their release, and some of the top names from the French music industry who participated in a free concert in Paris at the end of October.

There's a Comité de soutien (support committee) with a website keeping daily track of activities and reminding us all as to how long the two men have been held.

And you can sign an online petition (it's in French) should you wish to show your support.

Paris concert to support French journalists held hostage Afghanistan

Monday marks the 300th day of captivity for French journalists Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier, held hostage in Afghanistan.

And as part of the ongoing campaign in support of the two men, a concert is being organised in Paris, featuring some of the top names from the French music scene.

Ghesquière and Taponier were on assignment for France 3 television when they were taken captive on December 29, 2009, along with three Afghan colleagues - Mohammed Reza, Ghulam and Satar - as they were travelling in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province around 120 kilometres northeast of the capital Kabul.

The free concert, to be held at the Le Zénith in Paris, a venue with a capacity of approximately 7,000 will be broadcast live on France 3 and among those taking part will be established stars from the French music scene such as Véronique Sanson, Alain Souchon, Alain Chamfort, Bernard Lavilliers, Calogero, David Hallyday et Zazie.

They'll be joined by singers who appeal perhaps to a younger generation or have more recently made that all-important breakthrough including Camélia Jordana, BB Brunes, Ben l'Oncle Soul, Grégoire, Renan Luce and Raphaël.

The full list of performers (as provided by Reporters sans frontières site)

AaRON, Jean-Louis Aubert, Chimène Badi, Amel Bent, BB Brunes, Ben l’Oncle Soul, Calogero, Christophe, Camélia Jordana, Cock Robin, Empyr, Grand Corps Malade, Guillaume Grand, Grégoire, I AM , Joyce Jonathan, Judith, Bernard Lavilliers, Renan Luce, Christophe Maé, Pony Pony Run Run, Raphaël, Véronique Sanson, Shy’m, Soprano, Alain Souchon, Stromae and Zazie.

If you wish to show your support for Ghesquière and Taponier and their three Afghan colleagues, you can follow the link and sign the online petition.

SIGN THE PETITION

And once again, lest people might forget, there's also an Internet site charting activities and reminding us all as to just how long they've been held.

Sports stars lend support to French hostages held in Afghanistan

Some of France's top sporting stars have lent their support to the two French journalists being held in Afghanistan.

It's now 268 days since Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier were kidnapped in Afghanistan.



The two men, staff journalists for the French public television station France 3, were taken captive, along with three Afghan colleagues - Mohammed Reza, Ghulam and Satar - as they were travelling in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province around 120 kilometres northeast of the capital Kabul.

That was back on December 29, 2009.

Although their plight might not be making the news headlines, it's certainly one that is not being forgotten and is in fact covered in every news broadcast on national public television in France.

At the end of every bulletin there's a reminder as to how long to the two men have been held and a thought shared by the presenter with the men and their families.

And this week a number of France's top sporting personalities - past and present - also lent their support to the campaign for the two men in a video clip broadcast on France 3 among them, Olympic gold medallist in canoëing Tony Estanguet, a member of France's 1998 World Cup winning team Emmanuel Petit and the captain of the national handball team, Jérôme Fernandez.

There is also an online petition and you can follow the link to sign.

Signer la petition

And lest people might forget about the two men, there's also an Internet site charting activities and reminding us all as to just how long they've been held.


Soutien aux journalistes otages place de la Bourse à Paris
envoyé par Nouvelobs. - Regardez les dernières vidéos d'actu.