Japanese Engineer Still Kidnapped
Tribesmen in Yemen have kidnapped foreigners for years in order to pressure the government for the release of family members, often held as official hostages by the state or as a result of a tribal dispute. The Yemeni government cares not a whit about kidnapped Yemenis, ergo its the foreigners who get snatched. In this case, the Japanese engineer is being held as ransom for an al Qaeda member, and the Yemeni government lied (again, no surprise there) about the success of the negotiations. The regime’s lack of a counter-terror posture and prior accommodations to terrorists only encourages this behavior. At the same time, the lack of equitable redress in the form of a functional legal system is the fundamental root of the kidnapping phenomenon.
Yemen Post According to sources close to the Japanese engineer who preferred to be anonymous, the kidnappers didn’t release the Japanese engineer yet.
“There were conflicting reports about the release of the Japanese engineer kidnapped in Arhab and I confirm that tribal mediation did not succeed so far in the release of the kidnapped Japanese”, the source said.
The source accused the official sources of lying and misleading the public and carries the Yemeni government any consequences resulting from these false statements.
Few hours ago, official and tribal sources announced the success of tribal mediation to release of the Japanese Engineer
Arhab tribesmen abducted the Japanese engineer, Tak Yu Himua, 63 years, to pressure the Yemeni government to release a member of the tribe who belongs to Al-Qaeda and detained in prison four years ago. Hussein Abdullah Hussein fought with Al-Qaeda for two years in Iraq and settled in Syria for a year and another year in Lebanon. He was arrested on his return from Iraq 4 years ago. The prisoner belongs to Zendan district- Arhab tribe.
Yemen Post exclusively met with Arhab tribesmen close to those who kidnapped a Japanese Engineer and was told that the Japanese citizen will not be released until their demands are met.
Member of the Mediation Committee, Sheikh Abdul Jalil Sinan said that negotiations with the kidnappers to release the Japanese Engineer are underway.
The tribesmen once again demanded the government to release their relative from the political security prison, where he has been held for over four years. The tribesmen also assured Yemen Post that he is well and unharmed.
