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"pay dearly for its policy in Afghanistan and that the release of the hostages would depend on French troops being withdrawn."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.

Agreement possible in French-Russian child custody battle

An end could be in sight in the battle over the custody of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl who has been at the centre of a dispute between her parents for much of her short life and has been kidnapped on three occasions.

Both parents could be about to sign an agreement which would give them shared custody over Elise, the daughter of a Russian-born mother, Irina Belenkaya, and a French father, Jean-Michel André.

The last time Elise was abducted was on March 20 in the southern French city of Arles, when she was taken by two men dressed as security guards and a woman.

Her father was left badly beaten, and French police put out an alerte de l'enlèvement (the equivalent of an amber alert) on nation-wide basis, later extending it throughout the whole of Europe.

On April 12, Elise was found safe and sound by Hungarian police in the company of her mother as Belenkaya attempted to cross the border with her daughter into Ukraine.

Belenkaya was detained and André flew to Hungary to collect his daughter and bring her back to France.

The case has always been particularly complex because both parents have been awarded individual custody of Elise by courts in their respective countries.

Similarly both are liable to prosecution for abduction in one another's countries; Belenkaya in France and André in Russia.

When the couple split three years ago, a French court gave André custody of their daughter.

But just one month later she was kidnapped by Belenkaya and taken to Moscow.

An international arrest warrant was issued for the mother at the time but Russia refused to comply or even acknowledge it, and instead gave Belenkaya custody over her daughter.

So a stalemate was reached, with French courts having given André custody while as far as Russia was concerned Belenkaya was completely within her rights.

In September 2008 André flew to Moscow to find his daughter and for the second time she was abducted, although without any violence according to André.

Again the two countries' legal systems differed as to the rights of the parents.

As far as France was concerned, André had acted within his legal rights to bring Elise back to this country, while the authorities in Moscow said he had breached Russian custody law.

Now after this third - and hopefully final - kidnapping, an amicable agreement between Belenkaya and André could be on the cards, according to reports in the French media.

It has been hammered out by lawyers representing both parents and would allow Elise to live as near normal a life as possible, without two parents tussling over custody rights.

Belenkaya has reportedly agreed to terms that would mean she would have access to Elise under French law, admit her role before French courts in the most recent kidnapping of her daughter and in particular the attack on André, and most importantly accept shared custody.

It's not yet a done deal though. André still has to sign and it has to be approved by French courts.

And there's still the matter of whether Belenkaya will be extradited to France even though she has already agreed to appear before the courts in this country.

On Wednesday Hungarian authorities signed an order for her extradition which could take place within the next two weeks, but her lawyer immediately launched an appeal.

So the whole process of an amicable solution could still hang in the balance.

But in spite of that, André's lawyer, Victor Gioia, is still upbeat that an end to the long-running custody battle is just within reach.

"It's a mother who committed an act of folly through love," Gioia said on French television.

"She must be capable of explaining that, and she has been well advised and we're on the right road for finding a solution - a solution for Elise," he added.