Western journalists freed in Libya
TRIPOLI, Libya — International journalists were freed Wednesday from the Rixos Hotel after being held for five days by armed men loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.
The dozens of journalists were taken in Red Cross cars and vans to another Tripoli hotel, where they hugged friends and colleagues, many crying.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was talking to loyalist forces about the journalists’ safety on Wednesday when they were suddenly informed that Gadhafi’s men were ready to release them.
“We were able to gather everyone in four cars, no problem,” said George Comninos, the Red Cross’ head of delegation in Tripoli. “Of course, it was still a tense situation.”
CNN correspondent Matthew Chance posted on Twitter shortly after he and journalists from several other news organizations left the hotel in a car: “#Rixos crisis ends. All journalists are out! #rixos.”
Later, he told CNN: “We’ve got all the journalists into these four cars plus a civilian car and we are now driving through the deserted streets of Tripoli to our freedom essentially.” He said the Red Cross helped the journalists get through checkpoints.
“We’ve been living in fear for the past five days because we’ve been being held against our will by these crazy gunmen,” he said, according to CNN.
BBC journalists also confirmed they have been freed.
Matthew Price of BBC News said of the Gadhafi-loyal guards at the Rixos: “It was firmly their belief that if we went outside of the hotel, the rebels would capture us, kill us and rape the women.”
Chance said the journalists’ captivity ended when the guards were told about the changing situation in Tripoli and realized the regime might be over. A guard told the journalists, “Look, we’re not going to stop you from leaving anymore,” Chance reported.
An Associated Press reporter who entered the hotel earlier Wednesday found the journalists wearing helmets and flak jackets, clustered on the second floor, where a guard said they weren’t permitted to leave.
