Yemen’s Hostage System Prompts Kidnapping of Three Germans
Yemen’s law is based on Sharia and tribal norms. The government often kidnaps people and holds them hostage as a way to pressure family members. In other cases, state hostage taking is simply retribution by a powerful person. Considering the judicial system is no remedy, tribesmen regularly resort to kidnapping foreigners in order to get their relatives released. Why foreigners? Because no one cares when they kidnap Yemenis. Depending on the tribal identity of the kidnappers, the state sanction can range from financial rewards to prison time.The hostages are usually released without harm. The only exception was when jihaddists kidnapped foreigners in 1998. That ended with several fatalities. The tribesmen on the other hand have never been known to hurt the hostages and usually are very hospitable.
SAN`A, Yemen (AP) — A security official and tribal leader say tribesmen have kidnapped three Germans in southern Yemen and are holding them hostage, demanding the government release imprisoned clan members.
The Yemeni official says a German woman working for a non-governmental organization in Yemen and her visiting mother and father were abducted early Monday by Bani Thabyan tribesmen of Dhamar province 65 miles south of the capital, San`a.
A clan leader from the same area says the tribesmen are demanding the release of relatives held by the government.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk about the incident. The clan leader asked not to be identified fearing he would be accused of being linked to the abduction.
