DUSHANBE, February 15, 2013, Asia-Plus — Three Ukrainian hostages who were freed in Dushanbe on January 31 are making preparations for going home, Ukrainian Ambassador to Tajikistan, Mr. Viktor Nikityuk, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“They are currently living in a well-appointed apartment in Dushanbe under police protection,” Ambassador Nikityuk said.
Ukrainian diplomat noted that Tajik police officers had shown high professionalism while carrying out an operation to release the hostages.
We will recall that according to a statement released by the Ukrainian MFA, the criminals demanded a ransom of 100,000 USD for the release of the hostages.
According to KyivPost, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported that three Ukrainian citizens, who were taken hostage by unidentified persons in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), were freed on January 31.
A statement released by the Ukrainian MFA, in particular, said, “Ukraine”s diplomatic office in Uzbekistan learned about the seizure of hostages on January 27 this year. The criminals demanded a ransom of $100,000 for the release of our compatriots.” According to the Ukrainian Embassy in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Tajik authorities promptly took measures to establish the location of hostages and release them, the statement noted.
“A special unit of the Tajik Interior Ministry conducted an operation on January 31 this year, and the Ukrainian citizens were released,” the statement said.
The Foreign Ministry added that the Tajik law enforcement authorities had instituted criminal proceedings and that the investigation was underway.
