Beirut Kidnapers Free 3 Spanish Embassy Workers

Three Spanish Embassy employees kidnaped in West Beirut more than a month ago were freed unharmed by their captors at Justice Minister Nabih Berri’s office today.

Reporters called to a hastily arranged news conference saw the three men brought to Berri’s office by senior officials of his Shia Muslim Amal militia.

The freed hostages, Pedro Sanchez, Assad Abdo and Gaspar Abdo, appeared to be unharmed after their 33-day ordeal.

Spain’s ambassador, Pedro Manuel de Aristegui, was at Berri’s office when the three hostages were brought in. Aristegui himself was kidnaped Oct. 10, 1984, in predominantly Muslim West Beirut, but was freed several hours later unharmed.

The freed hostages refused to talk to newsmen during Berri’s conference, and they left in De Aristegui’s limousine without making any statement.

Amal sources said the captives were handed over to Berri’s security aides by members of a Shia family that had held them captive.

The abductors had sought the release of two Lebanese Shias imprisoned in Spain for the attempted assassination of a Libyan diplomat in Madrid in September, 1984. The prisoners are Mohammed Rahal, 22, and Mustafa Khalil, 24.

Shortly after the Jan. 17 abduction of the three embassy employees, a group calling itself the Black Banners Organization claimed responsibility for their kidnaping and demanded the release of Rahal and Khalil.

It could not be determined whether a promise of a prisoner exchange had been negotiated for the release of the Spanish Embassy officials.

The assistant director of Alcala-Meco maximum security prison in Madrid said Rahal and Khalil were still there and said he has received no word about their possible release.

A spokesman for the Spanish Foreign Office in Madrid said that “under no circumstances” would the two men “just be released.” But the spokesman, Innocencio Arias, added: “A formula is being studied to determine how they can serve their (27 years) in a Beirut prison.”