Mehdi Jomaa
Tunisian Prime Minister, Mehdi Jomaa, on Monday announced the release of two Tunisian diplomats who were abducted in Tripoli by gunmen, several months ago.
The kidnappers had demanded the release of Libyan extremists detained in Tunisia for their involvement in a terrorist operation, in exchange for the two Tunisian diplomats.
At a press conference held shortly before midnight at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jomaa said that the two Tunisians had been freed and were expected to return to Tunis aboard a chartered plane.
Also commenting on the issue, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mongi Hamdi, said that the diplomats, Mohamed Cheikh and LaroussiKontassi, kidnapped in Tripoli separately on March 21 and April 17, were healthy and well treated.
He commended the Libyan authorities for their role in the release of the diplomats.
According to him, the Tunisian authorities did not negotiate with the abductors, denying that the diplomats were swapped with Libyan prisoners in Tunisia.
Report says since the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the kidnapping of foreign diplomats had increased, with perpetrators usually demanding the release of Libyan jihadists held in the target countries.
Also abducted in mid-April, was Ambassador of Jordan, Fawaz Al- Aitan, who was released a month later in exchange for the release of a Libyan extremist that was jailed in Amman.