There are signs that efforts to free Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in 2012 and who the U.S. believes is being held by the Syrian government, are reviving. But his family says the U.S. needs to do more.
Tag Archives: Kidnapping and Hostages
Prosecutors Face Distrust in Second Try to Prove Plot to Kidnap Michigan’s Governor
Two men are charged with conspiring to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. But a first trial ended with no convictions, and questions about the F.B.I.’s tactics.
Smuggling Migrants at the Border Now a Billion-Dollar Business
With demand for smugglers on the rise, organized crime has moved in, with cruel and violent results.
NBA Campaign to Free Brittney Griner Is Mostly Low Key
Griner, the W.N.B.A. star, has been detained in Russia since February. The N.B.A., which founded the women’s league in 1996, has said it is working behind the scenes to help Griner.
Griner Case Draws Attention to ‘Wrongful Detentions’
Dozens of Americans are believed to be held by foreign adversaries as political pawns in disputes with the United States.
Brittney Griner’s Detention in Moscow Is Latest in Hostage Diplomacy
The United States believes the charges against the basketball star are spurious and tied to American support of Ukraine.
1955 Arrest Warrant in Emmett Till Case Is Found in Court Basement
The document charges the woman whose accusations led to the Black teenager’s murder with his kidnapping. The warrant was never served — and she is still alive.
After Israel’s Spies Hit Iran Hard, an Intelligence Official Loses His Job
After a series of damaging failures, a senior Iranian intelligence official lost his job and a Revolutionary Guards general was said to have been arrested.
Dozens Feared Dead in Church Attack in Nigeria
Gunmen fired on Catholics celebrating Mass in a usually peaceful part of the country. There was no claim of responsibility and the motive was unclear.
Relatives Charged in Exorcism Death of 3-Year-Old Girl
The child died from asphyxiation at a Pentecostal church in San Jose, Calif., as her mother, uncle and grandfather tried to expel what they believed was an “evil spirit,” the authorities said.
Haitian Gang Leader Is Charged With Abducting American Missionaries
Prosecutors said Joly Germine directed the kidnapping operations of the 400 Mawozo gang, including the negotiations for the release of volunteers with Christian Aid Ministries.
British Militant Convicted for Role in Deaths of Americans
The verdict capped a two-week trial that featured the testimony of former captives who detailed relentless beatings, waterboarding and murder by an Islamic State cell known as the Beatles.
Terrorism Trial Ends With Account of Aid Worker’s Enslavement
El Shafee Elsheikh was accused of being one of four British members of the Islamic State responsible for the torture and killing of Kayla Mueller and three others.
California Woman Admits Faking Her Abduction, Prosecutors Say
Sherri Papini’s 2016 disappearance prompted a three-week search. This week, she admitted she made it up and agreed to a plea bargain, the authorities said.
Two Men Acquitted of Plotting to Kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Jurors acquitted two of the men prosecutors had said planned to abduct Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. The jury said it was deadlocked in the case of two other men accused of plotting.
Jury Reaches Partial Verdict in Trial of Men Accused of Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor
The judge told jurors to continue trying to reach agreement on other charges where they have deadlocked.
Trial in Alleged Plot to Kidnap Michigan’s Governor Nears End
Closing arguments are expected Friday in the federal case against four men with militia ties who are accused of conspiring to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Chowchilla Kidnapper Granted Parole
Frederick Woods, 70, was one of three men convicted in the 1976 kidnapping in Chowchilla, Calif. The children and the bus driver escaped after being buried in a trailer for 16 hours.
Gunmen Attack Train Near Nigerian Capital, Killing Some Riders
The attackers used explosives to blow up the rail track before opening fire on the train in the latest in a series of train assaults.
Group Wanted to Kidnap Michigan Governor and Block Biden’s Election, Plotter Says
By abducting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, one man who pleaded guilty said, he hoped to disrupt the 2020 election and perhaps start a civil war.
In Whitmer Kidnapping Trial, Lawyers Debate Over Defendants’ Words
The proceedings that began last week test the government’s ability to root out violent extremism at home.
Kidnapping of Ukrainian Mayor in Melitopol Met With a Show of Resistance
The 33-year-old mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fyodorov, encouraged defiance. Then he was arrested, and hasn’t been heard from since.
Mayor of Melitopol Kidnapped By Russian Soldiers, Ukrainian Officials Say
In Melitopol, a mayor who opposed the occupation was kidnapped by Russian soldiers, igniting street protests. Similar protests have broken out in other towns.
California Woman Is Charged With Faking Her Own Abduction in 2016
Three weeks after she vanished, Sherri Papini was found over 140 miles from her home. According to the authorities, her account of being kidnapped was a lie.
‘Chained Woman’ Spurs Social Media Movement in China
The woman became a symbol of injustice and authorities’ incompetence in fighting human trafficking, posing a credibility challenge to an omnipotent government.
Girl’s Note to Teacher Leads Police to Her Brother’s Body
The girl’s mother wrote that she was being held against her will at a house in Las Vegas and that she feared for her son, the authorities said.
Sad Coda for Lovelorn Octogenarians Who Absconded Through Outback
Terry Gibbs was apprehended after abducting his longtime partner from her nursing home and setting out on a 3,000-mile journey. Seven weeks later, they died two days apart.
Ahmaud Arbery Killing: Three Men Found Guilty of Hate Crimes
Jurors delivered a swift verdict after a weeklong trial in which prosecutors presented voluminous evidence of the men’s racist beliefs and language.
How a Chechen Abduction Exposes Putin’s Problems at Home
A furor over the arrest of a woman by agents of the Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov shows the internal challenges facing President Vladimir V. Putin, even as he tries to project global power.
Man Charged in Kidnapping of Bloomberg’s Housekeeper From Colorado Ranch
The man was accused of kidnapping an employee of Mr. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, and asking for the whereabouts of his daughters.
Teenage Inmates Found Among the 500 Dead in Syria Prison Attack
The bodies of at least two boys were found on a street behind the prison — the first confirmed deaths among up to 700 teenagers who had been detained there because they were the children of ISIS fighters.
2 More Arrested in U.K. in Case Linked to Texas Synagogue Standoff
The men were held for questioning in the northern city of Manchester as part of a local investigation with counterterrorism officers that has already questioned several people.
Boys Held as Hostages by ISIS Worry Rights Activists
About 700 boys have been held for years in a prison in Syria because their parents joined the Islamic State. Now their lives are in danger.
Syrian-Kurdish Forces Retake Part of Prison Held by ISIS
Paramilitary forces in northeastern Syria say they have regained partial control of a prison attacked by the Islamic State last week. Hundreds of boys are being held hostage.
As F.B.I. Breached Texas Synagogue, Hostages Were Dashing for Exit
The federal agency said it was unaware that three hostages were already escaping the temple as an elite rescue team entered from different sides, killing the attacker.
What an Antisemite’s Fantasy Says About Jewish Reality
Why America can’t ignore the continual threat against Jews.
F.B.I. Director Calls Texas Synagogue Attack an Act of Antisemitism
Christopher A. Wray said the hostage taker targeted the Jewish community, contrary to the agency’s initial statement.
The Attack at a Synagogue in Texas
Reaction to the hostage siege in Colleyville, Texas. Also: Glass barriers in the subway; the Bronx fire; Democrats’ task; vote counting and the V.P.
Texas Hostage Taker Was Known to British Intelligence
Malik Faisal Akram had been listed as a “subject of interest” in 2020 by Britain’s MI5 security service, according to a U.S. official and British news media reports. But he had since been deemed to no longer be a risk.
Ingrid Betancourt to Make a Bid for President of Colombia
Ingrid Betancourt’s candidacy comes at a critical time, when Colombians are fed up with the political establishment and the future of the peace agreement is at stake.
A Tense Texas Standoff Leads to Emotional Phone Call Between Brothers
Gulbar Akram described his brother, Faisal, who was holding four hostages in a Texas synagogue on Saturday, as deeply troubled. He said he worked with police to try to “talk him down.’’
Texas Rabbi Recounts Dramatic Escape From Synagogue
As a gunman ranted, the hostages whispered instructions and edged closer to the door. The rabbi credited security training for their safe exit.
Officials Investigating Synagogue Attacker’s Link to 2010 Terror Case
Aafia Siddiqui has spent almost 12 years in a U.S. federal prison after being convicted of trying to kill American soldiers and plotting to blow up the Statue of Liberty.
Texas Synagogue Hostage Taker Had ‘Mental Health Issues,’ Brother in U.K. Says
The family of a British man who took four hostages during the standoff at Congregation Beth Israel described him as deeply troubled.
11 Hours of Fear, Negotiation and Finally, Relief
The F.B.I. identified Malik Faisal Akram, a British national, as the man who took hostages in a Texas synagogue on Saturday. He was killed during the rescue operation.
What We Learned of The Hostage Situation in a Texas Synagogue
The authorities have identified the suspect, a British citizen, who was killed when the hostages at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were freed on Saturday night.
Haiti Missionaries Describe Dramatic Escape From Kidnappers
The group of 12, including several children, walked 10 miles through the night. Later that day, the missionaries were on a Coast Guard flight to Florida.
12 Remaining Members of U.S. Group Kidnapped in Haiti Have Been Released
Seventeen members of the group, Christian Aid Ministries, had been kidnapped by a gang in October. Five had been released earlier.
Three of a Group of Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti Have Been Released
The U.S. Christian aid group said three more people were released from a group of 17 that had been kidnapped by a gang in Haiti. Two had been released last month.
Eitan Biran Returns to Italy From Israel in Custody Dispute
Eitan Biran, who lost his parents in a cable car crash in Italy this year, had been taken to Israel by his grandfather, who is under investigation for abduction.