Iran hints won't agree to Belgian abductor demand

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

TEHRAN, Aug 14 (Reuters) Iranian police signalled today that the authorities would not give in to the demands of kidnappers holding a Belgian couple.

The couple went missing in southeastern Iran at the weekend and an official was quoted yesterday as saying they had been abducted by a bandit group led by Ismael Shahbakhsh which was demanding that his brother be freed in return for their release.

''The kidnapper's motive is to put pressure for the release of his brother from prison,'' Iranian police chief Ismail Ahmadi-Moghaddam said, according to the Fars News Agency.

''In the past these people have experienced that no one in the history of Iran can escape justice by using pressure and such actions will only taint his record more,'' he said.

Iranian news reports said the married couple were tourists travelling by car in an area between the city of Bam and Iran's border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and had been taken to an undisclosed location by their kidnappers.

Southeastern Iran is notorious for clashes between the military and well-armed drugs smugglers.

Tourists visiting the region are advised not to travel at night.

In the past, European and other tourists have been kidnapped there.

Some were held by smugglers for weeks in a bid to secure the release of detained relatives.

Ahmadi-Moghaddam said police were cooperating with Iran's Intelligence Ministry on the case.

The Belgian embassy in Tehran said the mission was following up the reports but had no further information.

Reuters RSA DB2241

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X