Journalist's brother makes radio plea to kidnappers to free Ali Astamirov, AFP correspondent hostage in Ingushetia

Reporters Without Borders calls on radio stations to broadcast an appeal, recorded by the victim's brother, to the kidnappers of a journalist who was taken hostage in Ingushetia six months ago. The international press freedom organisation calls on radio stations to demonstrate their solidarity with Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent Ali Astamirov by broadcasting the appeal for his release from his brother Ruslan Magemadov. Astarmirov, who had been covering the war in Chechnya for a year, was kidnapped by armed men on 4 July 2003, in Nazran, Ingushetia. In the 58-second taped appeal to the kidnappers Magemadov says, "My brother is 34 years old. He has two children. He worked as a journalist in the Republic of Chechnya. (…) So far we have received no ransom demands. Nor the Russian nor Ingush security services have been able to provide us with any information. We have just one request: Please free my brother." Reporters Without Borders published an appeal on 30 October 2003 by several journalists, who have themselves been held hostage, calling for the release of Astamirov. Dowload the appeal in : - French | | | - English | | | - Russian | | | The tape is also available on CD Rom by writing to [email protected] or phoning (00 33) 1 44 83 84 65.