Danish photographer feed after 13-month captivity in SyriaJune 20, 2014 - 15:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A Danish freelance photographer who had been held captive for 13 months in Syria has been released and has been reunited with his family, officials said Friday, June 20, according to the Associated Press. Denmark's Foreign Ministry said Daniel Rye Ottosen, 25, had been held since May 17, 2013, in Syria where he went to photograph the conflict and the civilian population's conditions. Rye Ottosen was freed Thursday and is in good condition, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ole Egberg Mikkelsen said Friday, but gave no details of where or by whom the photographer was held. He declined to comment on press reports that Rye Ottosen had been detained by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Egberg Mikkelsen declined to say whether any ransom had been paid. "Generally speaking I can say that as government representatives, we never ever have contacts with abductors or any other criminals," he told the AP. Rye Ottosen's abduction was known to Danish media, which had refrained from reporting it for security reasons. "Our experience tells us that if there is any kind of media coverage, it can play a role and can make things more complex," Egberg Mikkelsen added. In March, Beirut-based Danish freelance television reporter Jeppe Nybroe was freed after he had been abducted a month earlier in Lebanon, near the Syrian border. Danish media also knew about that kidnapping but kept silent until Nybroe was released. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |