External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a personal intervention on Tuesday and assured that India will continue to make efforts for the release of a Catholic priest kidnapped in Yemen. Her assurance in this case came a day after the priest made an emotional appeal for his release in a video sent by his captors.
“I have seen the video from Fr. Tom. He is an Indian citizen and the life of every Indian is most precious for us. We have spared no effort and we will spare no effort to secure Fr. Tom’s release from captivity,” Ms. Swaraj said on the social media platform, Twitter.
The message from Ms. Swaraj came, hours after the Ministry of External Affairs said that India will continue to work with the Saudi Arabia and Yemen governments to seek the release of Father Tom Uzhunnalil who was kidnapped from Aden in March. Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the government is aware of the challenging circumstances in which the priest is held captive even as a video showing him seeking help surfaced in the web.
The MEA has maintained since March that it is in touch with “relevant partners” to secure his release. In 2014, another Indian priest Alexis Premkumar was kidnapped in Afghanistan but was released after eight months of captivity. “We got Fr Alex Premkumar and Judith D’Souza released from Afghanistan,” Ms. Swaraj said in her last of a series of messages referring to two instances where an Indian priest and a social worker were rescued from Afghanistan.
“With regard to the safe release of Father Tom who was abducted some months ago, we have been in regular touch with countries in the region, especially Saudi Arabia and also the local Yemeni authorities,” said Mr. Swarup.
Fr. Tom was kidnapped following a March 4 attack on a home for elderly citizens.
