Paris Confirms Iraq Has Detained 27 French Nationals
France confirmed Sunday that 27 French nationals were being held somewhere in Iraq, after the wife of one hostage accused Paris of keeping their detention secret for three days.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that the French citizens had been taken away, soon after the unidentified Frenchwoman appealed on France’s TF1 television channel for their rescue.
The woman said the hostages included her husband and a 4-year-old girl traveling without her parents.
“Iraqi authorities informed us officially on Saturday, Aug. 18, of their intention to implement the measures they announced recently concerning foreigners held in Iraq and Kuwait,” the spokesman said.
He did not say when the government learned of the French group’s removal.
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