{"id":7057,"date":"2023-05-19T17:26:58","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T16:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=7057"},"modified":"2023-05-19T17:34:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T16:34:21","slug":"australian-doctor-released-after-7-years-by-islamic-terrorists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/magazine\/health-and-lifestyle\/australian-doctor-released-after-7-years-by-islamic-terrorists\/2023\/05\/19\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian doctor released after 7 years by Islamic terrorists"},"content":{"rendered":"

CANBERRA<\/span> (AP) By Dr. Majid Khan<\/span>\u00a0–<\/span> An<\/span> 88-year-old<\/span> Australian<\/span> doctor<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> held<\/span> captive<\/span> by<\/span> Islamic<\/span> extremists<\/span> in<\/span> West<\/span> Africa<\/span> for<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> seven<\/span> years<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> released<\/span> and<\/span> returned<\/span> to<\/span> Australia.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Secretary<\/span> of<\/span> State<\/span> Penny<\/span> Wong<\/span> said<\/span> Ken<\/span> Elliott<\/span> was<\/span> safe<\/span> and<\/span> well<\/span> and<\/span> was<\/span> reunited<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> wife<\/span> and<\/span> children<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> night.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“I<\/span> am<\/span> very<\/span> pleased<\/span> to<\/span> announce<\/span> that<\/span> Dr.<\/span> Ken<\/span> Elliott,<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> held<\/span> hostage<\/span> in<\/span> West<\/span> Africa<\/span> for<\/span> almost<\/span> seven<\/span> years,<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> reunited<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> family<\/span> in<\/span> Australia,”<\/span> Wong<\/span> told<\/span> reporters<\/span> in<\/span> Sydney.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Elliots,<\/span> who<\/span> ran<\/span> a<\/span> clinic<\/span> in<\/span> Burkina<\/span> Faso<\/span> for<\/span> 40<\/span> years,<\/span> were<\/span> kidnapped.<\/span> Jocelyn<\/span> Elliott<\/span> was<\/span> released<\/span> after<\/span> three<\/span> weeks.<\/span> “We<\/span> would<\/span> like<\/span> to<\/span> thank<\/span> God<\/span> and<\/span> everyone<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> continued<\/span> to<\/span> pray<\/span> for<\/span> us,”<\/span> Elliott’s<\/span> family<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> statement<\/span> released<\/span> by<\/span> Wong’s<\/span> department.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We<\/span> are<\/span> so<\/span> relieved<\/span> that<\/span> Dr.<\/span> Elliott<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> released<\/span> and<\/span> we<\/span> thank<\/span> the<\/span> Australian<\/span> Government<\/span> and<\/span> everyone<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> campaigned<\/span> for<\/span> his<\/span> release<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> years,”<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> family.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Wong<\/span> said<\/span> no<\/span> ransom<\/span> was<\/span> paid<\/span> to<\/span> secure<\/span> Elliot’s<\/span> freedom,<\/span> but<\/span> no<\/span> further<\/span> details<\/span> about<\/span> his<\/span> release<\/span> were<\/span> provided.<\/span> Media<\/span> reports<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> was<\/span> reunited<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> family<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> native<\/span> West<\/span> Coast<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Perth.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“After<\/span> being<\/span> 88<\/span> years<\/span> old<\/span> and<\/span> away<\/span> from<\/span> home<\/span> for<\/span> years,<\/span> Dr.<\/span> Elliott<\/span> now<\/span> has<\/span> time<\/span> and<\/span> privacy<\/span> to<\/span> rest<\/span> and<\/span> recuperate,”<\/span> the<\/span> family<\/span> added.<\/span> Al-Qaeda,<\/span> the<\/span> Islamic<\/span> Maghreb<\/span> militant<\/span> group<\/span> behind<\/span> the<\/span> kidnappings,<\/span> is<\/span> best<\/span> known<\/span> for<\/span> kidnappings<\/span> for<\/span> ransom<\/span> against<\/span> foreign<\/span> aid<\/span> workers<\/span> and<\/span> tourists.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Thirty<\/span> people<\/span> were<\/span> killed<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> militant<\/span> attack<\/span> in<\/span> Burkina<\/span> Faso’s<\/span> capital<\/span> Ouagadougou<\/span> on<\/span> January<\/span> 15,<\/span> 2016,<\/span> the<\/span> day<\/span> an<\/span> Australian<\/span> couple<\/span> were<\/span> kidnapped.<\/span> Al<\/span> Qaeda’s<\/span> North<\/span> Africa<\/span> arm<\/span> has<\/span> claimed<\/span> responsibility<\/span> for<\/span> this<\/span> attack<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> high-profile<\/span> attacks<\/span> in<\/span> West<\/span> Africa<\/span> months<\/span> ago<\/span> that<\/span> killed<\/span> 20<\/span> people<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> hotel<\/span> raid<\/span> in<\/span> Mali’s<\/span> capital<\/span> Bamako.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Elliotts<\/span> were<\/span> kidnapped<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Zibo<\/span> in<\/span> northern<\/span> Burkina<\/span> Faso,<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> Mali-Niger<\/span> border.<\/span> Jocelyn<\/span> Elliott<\/span> was<\/span> released<\/span> in<\/span> neighboring<\/span> Niger.<\/span> At<\/span> the<\/span> time,<\/span> Niger’s<\/span> President<\/span> Mahamadou<\/span> Issoufou<\/span> worked<\/span> with<\/span> Burkina<\/span> Faso’s<\/span> secret<\/span> services<\/span> to<\/span> secure<\/span> his<\/span> release,<\/span> his<\/span> office<\/span> said<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> time.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Wong<\/span> said<\/span> Australia<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> pay<\/span> the<\/span> ransom<\/span> to<\/span> secure<\/span> Ken<\/span> Elliott’s<\/span> release.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“The<\/span> Australian<\/span> government<\/span> has<\/span> a<\/span> clear<\/span> policy<\/span> of<\/span> not<\/span> paying<\/span> the<\/span> ransom,”<\/span> Wong<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Over<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> seven<\/span> years,<\/span> in<\/span> our<\/span> relationship<\/span> with<\/span> Dr.<\/span> Elliott,<\/span> we<\/span> have<\/span> worked<\/span> with<\/span> other<\/span> governments<\/span> and<\/span> local<\/span> authorities,”<\/span> she<\/span> added.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CANBERRA (AP) By Dr. Majid Khan\u00a0– An 88-year-old Australian doctor who was held captive by Islamic extremists in West Africa for more than seven years has been released and returned to Australia. Secretary of State Penny Wong said Ken Elliott was safe and well and was reunited with his wife and children on Thursday night. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[562,1566],"tags":[1604,1605,2552,5123,5124,5125,5126,5127,5128,5129,5130,36,502,1574],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/dr.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7059,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057\/revisions\/7059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}