30/09/2014
Philippines: Threats against German hostages raise the question of the changing nature of Abu Sayyaf Group
On Monday September 29, German hostages Stefan Viktor Okonek and Herike Diesen – who are presumably held by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in an unknown location in Sulu Island since last April – launched a distress appeal to the German and Philippine governments in an interview with Zamboanga city’s community radio dxRZ. Stressing that their health condition was worsening, they called German authorities to do “all they can” to ensure their release, adding that they were “not sure how long [they] can suffer”. The authenticity of the message, which was broadcasted trough the private network “Radio Mindanao Network” (RMN), was later confirmed by local police sources.