Egypt seeks release of Boston pastor abducted by Bedouin
Egypt is working with U.S. Embassy officials to secure the release of 61-year-old Boston pastor Rev. Michel Louis and two others who were abducted while on a church trip to the Middle East, U.S. officials told NBC News on Sunday.
The son of Louis told The Associated Press that his father was on a church trip to retrace Jesus' steps through the Holy Land with 23 other members of the clergy and worshippers when he was abducted. Along with him, a 39-year-old Boston woman in the group and a tour guide were kidnapped Friday.
The AP said an Egyptian Bedouin, Jirmy Abu-Masuh, was the captor – and that he was demanding police release his uncle from prison. It reported Abu-Masuh vowed to take more hostages of different nationalities if his demands were not met.
Gov. Gen. Tayeb Mabrouk of North Sinai said Sunday authorities are seeking to get the kidnapper's uncle released in exchange for the freedom of the three hostages, accoeding to NBC News. The kidnapper has refused to negotiate with three tribal Bedouin chiefs until his uncle is freed. He gave a 24-hour deadline to release his uncle but authorities have asked for more time, NBC News reported. The hostages are fine and being treated as guests, the kidnapper told authorities.
North Sinai authorities have been given orders by the ministry of interior to resolve the situation.
"He's been doing it for the past four years now, and this just turned out to be a little different from any other year," said the younger Louis, who works as a youth pastor at a church founded by his father. "He's a diabetic, so we'd like the person that, or the people that have him in captivity, to know that. We're just concerned for his health. But we know that the governments are working very hard negotiating."
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy told NBC News it was in close touch with the Egyptian authorities as negotiations continue, and that Egypt was “working hard to resolve the situation and bringing about a safe release of the hostages.”
The abduction took place along the road linking Cairo to the sixth-century St. Catherine's Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai where the Old Testament says Moses received the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments.
The son of Louis told The Associated Press that his father was on a church trip to retrace Jesus' steps through the Holy Land with 23 other members of the clergy and worshippers when he was abducted. Along with him, a 39-year-old Boston woman in the group and a tour guide were kidnapped Friday.
The AP said an Egyptian Bedouin, Jirmy Abu-Masuh, was the captor – and that he was demanding police release his uncle from prison. It reported Abu-Masuh vowed to take more hostages of different nationalities if his demands were not met.
Gov. Gen. Tayeb Mabrouk of North Sinai said Sunday authorities are seeking to get the kidnapper's uncle released in exchange for the freedom of the three hostages, accoeding to NBC News. The kidnapper has refused to negotiate with three tribal Bedouin chiefs until his uncle is freed. He gave a 24-hour deadline to release his uncle but authorities have asked for more time, NBC News reported. The hostages are fine and being treated as guests, the kidnapper told authorities.
North Sinai authorities have been given orders by the ministry of interior to resolve the situation.
"He's been doing it for the past four years now, and this just turned out to be a little different from any other year," said the younger Louis, who works as a youth pastor at a church founded by his father. "He's a diabetic, so we'd like the person that, or the people that have him in captivity, to know that. We're just concerned for his health. But we know that the governments are working very hard negotiating."
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy told NBC News it was in close touch with the Egyptian authorities as negotiations continue, and that Egypt was “working hard to resolve the situation and bringing about a safe release of the hostages.”
The abduction took place along the road linking Cairo to the sixth-century St. Catherine's Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai where the Old Testament says Moses received the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments.
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