Jailed Norway journalist freed in Yemen
The Local Norway - [email protected]
Published: 17 Apr, 2015 CET.
Updated: Fri 17 Apr 2015 18:19 CET
A Norwegian journalist held in Yemen since late March has been released and is on his way home, the Norwegian foreign ministry said Friday.
Raymond Lidal, a 28-year-old freelancer, "was evacuated this afternoon together with other foreign citizens," foreign ministry spokesman Rune Bjastad told AFP. "He is on his way out of Yemen to Norway," he added, refusing to disclose any details of Lidal's release.
Lidal was detained in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in late March. He was accused of spying when he failed to show a journalist's visa while filming Saudi-led airstrikes against Huthi Shiite rebels, Norwegian daily
VG reported last week.
At the time, Norway's foreign ministry had only confirmed the arrest of a Norwegian national in Sanaa, but would not comment on his identity or the reasons for the arrest.
Iran-backed Huthi rebels have seized swathes of territory in Yemen since they entered Sanaa in September, forcing the government to flee and prompting airstrikes since March 26 by a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states.
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Raymond Lidal, a 28-year-old freelancer, "was evacuated this afternoon together with other foreign citizens," foreign ministry spokesman Rune Bjastad told AFP. "He is on his way out of Yemen to Norway," he added, refusing to disclose any details of Lidal's release.
Lidal was detained in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in late March. He was accused of spying when he failed to show a journalist's visa while filming Saudi-led airstrikes against Huthi Shiite rebels, Norwegian daily
VG reported last week.
At the time, Norway's foreign ministry had only confirmed the arrest of a Norwegian national in Sanaa, but would not comment on his identity or the reasons for the arrest.
Iran-backed Huthi rebels have seized swathes of territory in Yemen since they entered Sanaa in September, forcing the government to flee and prompting airstrikes since March 26 by a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states.
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