French journalist held hostage in Iraq freed
{{date|June 12, 2005}}

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The [[w:France|French]] foreign affairs department has announced that the French journalist [[w:Florence Aubenas|Florence Aubenas]] (working on behalf of [[w:Libération|Libération]]) and her guide Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi have been freed this morning.

They had been held hostage in [[w:Iraq|Iraq]] since January 5, 2005 &mdash; a total of 158 days.

French president [[w:Jacques Chirac|Jacques Chirac]] said in a televised speech that the freed French reporter and her Iraqi driver are in "good health" and said that Aubenas is on a plane heading for France.

==Sources==

*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-06-12T084915Z_01_N12705252_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-FRANCE-IRAQ-HOSTAGE-DC.XML |title=French hostage released-French foreign ministry |author= |pub=Reuters |date=June 12, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14050 |title=Joy at release of hostages Florence Aubenas and Hussein Hanoun |author= |pub=Reporters without borders |date=June 12, 2005}}

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[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Jacques Chirac]]

[[es:Liberada periodista francesa en Iraq]]
[[fr:Libération de Florence Aubenas et de Hussein Hanoun]]
[[it:Liberata in Iraq la giornalista francese Florence Aubenas]]
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The French foreign affairs department has announced that the French journalist Florence Aubenas (working on behalf of Libération) and her guide Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi have been freed this morning.

They had been held hostage in Iraq since January 5, 2005 — a total of 158 days.

French president Jacques Chirac said in a televised speech that the freed French reporter and her Iraqi driver are in "good health" and said that Aubenas is on a plane heading for France.

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Middle East Iraq France Jacques Chirac