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Article: Dutch government in rare public row with aid group over ransom money
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- June 15, 2004
- Author:
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ANTHONY DEUTSCH, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
06-15-2004
Dateline: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands
In a surprisingly public row, the Dutch government threatened Tuesday to sue the violence-plagued Doctors Without Borders relief agency over the repayment of euro750,000 (US$900,000) used as ransom to free an abducted Dutch employee.
Arjan Erkel was set free on April 11 after 20 months in captivity in the southern Russian region of Dagestan, bordering the war-ravaged republic of Chechnya, where Russian troops are battling separatist rebels. It was one of the longest kidnappings of an aid worker in the Caucasus region.
The row led to widespread publication that a ransom had been paid to the ...