Tweet
AZG Armenian Daily #169, 21/09/2005
Diaspora
'WE SHALL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR HIS RELEASE', CYPRUS AND LEBANON
PROMISE
An Armenian woman has made a tearfully impassioned plea for the release of
her nephew kidnapped in Baghdad and kept hostage by a hitherto unknown group
of Iraqi militant a; who are demanding $2 million ransom for his release.
Rita Medzadourian made her plea on local television here in a voice
interrupted by sobbing. "He has done no harm to anybody in his life", she
said. "He has been to Iraq many times and this was to be last trip. We are a
poor family, working hard for a living. We don't have the kind of money
those people are asking.
"I beg with all my heart for the governments of Cyprus and Lebanon to do
everything they can, exert all the pressure in their power to help my Garo
come out alive."
Rita's television plea came shortly after the Cyprus foreign minister
officially confirmed the kidnapping of Garabed Djighardjian, 40, a salesman
for an offshore company owned by a Lebanese who supplied Foodstuff and
drinks to Iraq. He had been listed "missing" in Baghdad since September 11,
and was officially declared kidnapped in a bulletin issued late Friday
night.
On Saturday night local television here showed footage said to have been
recorded by militants who called themselves "The Group for the promotion of
virtues and the prevention of vice". He was shown sitting on a stone floor
hands and feet tied and with a hooded gunman pointing an automatic rifle at
his heats. He looked worn out and terrified.
Speaking in Arabic ha said: "I hold both Lebanese and Cypriot nationality as
my father is of Lebanese nationality and my mother Cypriot. The company I
work for is Jetco which operates in Lebanon, Cyprus and Iraq. It supplies
foodstuff and alcoholic beverages to the occupation forces in Iraq and the
Iraqi army.
"I bag the company to leave Iraq and ask the Lebanese embassy (in Iraq) to
put pressure on the company to sever links with the occupation forces that
terrorize the people of Iraq as they did the people of Lebanon years ago."
Rita said: "Garo's kidnappers asked for the withdrawal of the company from
Iraq. The company did so, but Garo was not freed. Then they came back with a
demand for $20,000. When the money was paid, again they did not release Garo
and demanded two million dollars.
"Since then, they have lowered their demand to $500,000 but kept up their
threats that unless it is paid in four days they would kill him.
"I have very little information but from what I have been told, the
kidnappers went to his house disguised as policemen in a police car, and
took him away. I understand it happened late at night.
"Garo's employer promised my sister at her death bad that he would always
care for his children. Now he has to live up to his promise. My sister Seta
used to be his executive secretary and the backbone of his company.
"If anything happens to my nephew, his boss will have his blood on his
hands," Rita said.
The Foreign Ministry in Nicosia said: "The Cyprus government has been in
close contact with the Lebanese government as well as with Greece and the
European Union and friendly Arab governments.
"We shall do everything possible for his release.
"The Lebanese government is currently handling the matter via their embassy
in Baghdad".
By Parthogh
Diaspora
'WE SHALL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR HIS RELEASE', CYPRUS AND LEBANON
PROMISE
An Armenian woman has made a tearfully impassioned plea for the release of
her nephew kidnapped in Baghdad and kept hostage by a hitherto unknown group
of Iraqi militant a; who are demanding $2 million ransom for his release.
Rita Medzadourian made her plea on local television here in a voice
interrupted by sobbing. "He has done no harm to anybody in his life", she
said. "He has been to Iraq many times and this was to be last trip. We are a
poor family, working hard for a living. We don't have the kind of money
those people are asking.
"I beg with all my heart for the governments of Cyprus and Lebanon to do
everything they can, exert all the pressure in their power to help my Garo
come out alive."
Rita's television plea came shortly after the Cyprus foreign minister
officially confirmed the kidnapping of Garabed Djighardjian, 40, a salesman
for an offshore company owned by a Lebanese who supplied Foodstuff and
drinks to Iraq. He had been listed "missing" in Baghdad since September 11,
and was officially declared kidnapped in a bulletin issued late Friday
night.
On Saturday night local television here showed footage said to have been
recorded by militants who called themselves "The Group for the promotion of
virtues and the prevention of vice". He was shown sitting on a stone floor
hands and feet tied and with a hooded gunman pointing an automatic rifle at
his heats. He looked worn out and terrified.
Speaking in Arabic ha said: "I hold both Lebanese and Cypriot nationality as
my father is of Lebanese nationality and my mother Cypriot. The company I
work for is Jetco which operates in Lebanon, Cyprus and Iraq. It supplies
foodstuff and alcoholic beverages to the occupation forces in Iraq and the
Iraqi army.
"I bag the company to leave Iraq and ask the Lebanese embassy (in Iraq) to
put pressure on the company to sever links with the occupation forces that
terrorize the people of Iraq as they did the people of Lebanon years ago."
Rita said: "Garo's kidnappers asked for the withdrawal of the company from
Iraq. The company did so, but Garo was not freed. Then they came back with a
demand for $20,000. When the money was paid, again they did not release Garo
and demanded two million dollars.
"Since then, they have lowered their demand to $500,000 but kept up their
threats that unless it is paid in four days they would kill him.
"I have very little information but from what I have been told, the
kidnappers went to his house disguised as policemen in a police car, and
took him away. I understand it happened late at night.
"Garo's employer promised my sister at her death bad that he would always
care for his children. Now he has to live up to his promise. My sister Seta
used to be his executive secretary and the backbone of his company.
"If anything happens to my nephew, his boss will have his blood on his
hands," Rita said.
The Foreign Ministry in Nicosia said: "The Cyprus government has been in
close contact with the Lebanese government as well as with Greece and the
European Union and friendly Arab governments.
"We shall do everything possible for his release.
"The Lebanese government is currently handling the matter via their embassy
in Baghdad".
By Parthogh