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News

2 journalists hostages in Syria are back home!
March 31, 2025 06:00 GMT

2 journalists hostages in Syria are back home!

 

Two Spanish journalists were held hostage in Syria since September. They  were handed over to the Turkish military and right now they are back in Madrid, after their release.

 

Al Qaeda-linked rebels captured Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova, while they were on their way to leave Syria.

 

Mr. Espinosa is the Middle East correspondent for El Mundo. He managed to call the newsroom and inform them that he and freelance photographer Ricardo Garcia Vilanovan were safe sound, in good condition of health.

 

Acording to El Mund’s Deputy chief Agustín Pery: “It was Javier just as he always was, absolutely calm. At the same time we were all laughing and clapping and crying”.

 

Their kidnapping was held in secret until December, while the authorities had negotiations with the rebels.

 

 Casimiro García-Abadillo, El Mundo’s Chief-editor, said: "They gave us proof that they were alive. Since then, negotiations were essentially focused on proving to this group that Javier and Ricardo are journalists doing their journalistic job and that they are not spies".

 

The two men were not the only journalists kidnapped. Rebel fighters in Syria have kidnapped or even killed many others, since the beginning of the civil war in 2011.

 

Watch below the news report: