Florence Aubenas

Biography

Graduate of the Training center of the journalists (CFJ, promotion 1984), she worked for the Morning of Paris and the New Economist , before entering in 1986 to the newspaper Libération . She covered with many events to the Rwanda, with the Kosovo, in Algérie, Afghanistan and Iraq, like several great lawsuits in France. Thus it had been made known for its cover of the Procès of Outreau, being one of the first to express its doubts about the culpability of the finally cleared defendants.

In September 2006, she announces that she leaves Libération because of a dissension with the principal shareholder Edouard de Rothschild. She joined then the Nouvel Observateur .

She is the sister of Sylvie Aubenas.

Removal

The January 5th 2005, Florence Aubenas is removed with Baghdad in company of sound Fixeur , Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi with the Université of Baghdad at the time of a report on the refugees of Falloujah.

This removal occurs more than two weeks after the release of the journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, a polemic was artificially launched afterwards affirming that there was consensus (i.e. general tacit agreement) of the journalists (of large the reporters certainly not) not to go more to Iraq. It is an aspect of the communication of State on the file. What is probable, it is that Florence Aubenas was not targeted by the kidnappers. It was removed at the university of Baghdad Jedida whereas it carried out a report on the refugees of the town of Falloujah which lived in tents on the campus.

Video of March 1st, 2005

A cassette deposited with the arranges Reuters of Baghdad and diffused on March 1st by Sky-Italia, reveals Florence Aubenas during 26 seconds being expressed in English.

It seems very tested by its detention and declares in particular that its health is very bad. It is also very badly with the psychological level. At the end of the cassette, she asks the assistance of the deputy Didier Julia. It is not mentioned Hussein Hanoun.

Testimonys of Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, journalists previously removed in Iraq, encourage however with the reserve as for the interpretation of this video. The kidnappers indeed seem to use a projector of green light in order to accentuate the tiredness of the features of their victim, and to make learn how the message by heart to give in front of the camera. It confirmed since not to have invented the text, which was in any event more than improbable.

The authorities and the family of Florence Aubenas declared that another video (on support CD-ROM) their was given one week before.

In all, about fifteen " evidence of vie" on CD-ROM, were diffused by the chief of the kidnappers (with the Saoudis, the Libyans, the Syrians, Jordanian, etc). All were retransmises by the recipients at the French government.

Support

Support groups had constituted themselves during their captivity. After 100 days, the April 15th 2005, many media joined the concert protests. Many petitions were also launched.

Release

See also: Release of Florence Aubenas and Hussein Hanoun

An official statement of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the morning of the June 12th 2005 announced the release of Florence and Hussein the day before in the afternoon, and the return of Florence in France in the evening. They were released after more than five months of captivity (157 days).

Its plane landed shortly after 19:15 on the military airport of Villacoublay. It is accommodated by the Head of State Jacques Chirac then found her close family. She will discuss a few minutes with the come journalists of number for this awaited release.

The contact between the French authorities and the kidnappers seems well to be established via Khaled Jasim Iraqi member of the team of Didier Julia the March 25th (see Libération of the June 13rd, maintenance in the office of Pierre Vimont with the Quay of Orsay, Khaled Jasim (in Amman) is then represented by Karim Guellaty) and taken again via Karim Guellaty the May 29th.

Officially and not to encourage other removals, France did not pour a ransom. (semi-officially, one speaks of more than 15 million dollars claimed by the kidnappers and eight versed million)

Sources

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