The ransom dilemma - to pay or not to pay for the freedom of a hostage

29 April 2019 - 10:25 By TimesLIVE
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A screen grab of a video purportedly showing captured South African photographer Shiraaz Mahomed pleading for help.
A screen grab of a video purportedly showing captured South African photographer Shiraaz Mahomed pleading for help.
Image: Supplied

Paying for a hostage to be released is a dilemma - but the ultimate decision rests with the family of the captive, Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said on Monday.

He was speaking after the release of a "proof of life" video indicating that South African photo journalist Shiraaz Mohamed was still alive, more than two years after being abducted and held hostage in Syria.

"I live in fear of my life. I am scared. We are being bombed," says the man in the video. "The area that I am in is being bombed by the Russian air force. The bombs are getting closer and closer and closer. I need your help. Please help me."

Sooliman said in a statement on Sunday that Mohamed's family was "emotional, ecstatic, full of hope and grateful to the Almighty" after receiving the video.

South Africa's department of international relations and co-operation (Dirco) is keeping tight-lipped about the latest development.

Speaking on SAfm on Monday, Sooliman revealed that the captors were initially demanding payment of US $300,000 for the proof of life video. "We told them flatly we’re not interested. And on Friday night they were still haggling and suddenly … the video comes through."

He was hopeful that the kidnappers would reveal this week what they wanted.

Asked if putting the video, and information about it into the public domain was not endangering Mohamed, he said: "No - at the end of the day, they don't care about anything as long as they get their money. It doesn’t matter whether you're putting them in the media or don’t put them in the media. If you pay them they are quite happy."

And therein lay the dilemma, balancing funding law-breakers with saving a life.

"It's a dilemma. It's quite simple, we're the facilitators but at the end of the day the decision lies in the hands of the family, whether they want to pay or not," Sooliman told SAfm.

"International law allows the family to pay … but when the families don't have money, governments don't pay money and the [hostage] does not work for a big corporate, it's difficult."

Dirco said it had "noted a media statement and video clip issued by Gift of the Givers on the abducted South African journalist Shiraaz Mohamed".

"Mohamed was working as a photographer when he was abducted. Dirco has been in contact with the family and will continue to liaise with the family on the matter. No further information will be given by Dirco due to the sensitivity of the matter."

South Africa has on previous occasions emphasised it does not pay ransom to kidnappers.


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