Serge Lazarevic is back in France, free, after more than three years of captivity in the Sahel in the hands of Al Qaeda (AQIM). The government plane landed this morning at Villacoublay airport. He came down with daughter Diane and was welcomed by President Francois Hollande and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Ledrian. His mother and sister were also there to greet him, and the son of Philippe Verdon.
"It is a joy for the French people, because there is no longer any French hostage in any country of the world, even if we do not forget all the other foreign hostages" in particular, said the head of the state.
Serge Lazarevic lost twenty pounds, he did not see a lot of force, it will be examined by doctors:
"Life is beautiful to regain freedom. I did not know before that it was the freedom I had forgotten what it was freedom, and never forget that being a free man is to pay attention to so wherever you go, like said Mr. President, be careful because freedom is more expensive than anything. When caught, when it is abused, it is lost when one is on the verge of death, they not think about life. "
Debriefed by intelligence services having just regained his freedom, the former hostage Serge Lazarevic will again be heard on the details of his imprisonment after finding his family.
Philippe Verdon, the other French kidnapped with him by a group of armed men on 24 November 2011, was found dead with a bullet in the head in July 2013.
The negotiations were long, leading to the release of Serge Lazarevic. François Hollande thanked the Presidents of Mali and Niger.
In the French media, it is stated that "probable ransom," and an exchange of prisoners, would have allowed the release of French.
By late morning, the association "Friends of Ghislaine Dupont," reporter for Radio France International murdered a year ago in Mali, says that the release of the French hostage Serge Lazarevic resulted in the restoration freedom "several hijackers".
She recalled that the group linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has claimed responsibility for the abduction of Serge Lazarevic and Philippe Verdon, who was killed in July 2013, "is the same that claimed the dastardly assassination", November 2 2013 Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, RFI technician, "some minutes after their abduction in Kidal in Mali."
This is the statement said, of "katiba Al Ansar Hamada Ag Hama, said Abdelkrim Abdelkrim al-Taleb or Targa (Abdelkrim Touareg)" armed group "would also be involved in the detention and release of hostages Arlit (Niger) dated three days earlier, 29 October 2013 ".
"The release of Serge Lazarevic resulted in the release of several of the hijackers jihadist group, Mohamed Ali Ag Ag Wadossene and Heiba Acherif, even those who had participated in the abduction of Serge Lazarevic and Philippe Verdon in 2011, "says the association.
"We hope that the return to freedom of Serge Lazarevic encourage French and Malian authorities to redouble their efforts to help the judges of the investigation to clarify the circumstances and motives of the double crime of 2 November 2013 so that the assassins Ghislaine and Claude is arrested and tried, "she concludes.
