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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Officials defend no ransom policy | Officials defend no ransom policy |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| The Foreign Office has defended its stance of not paying a ransom to help free a British couple taken hostage by Somali pirates three months ago. | The Foreign Office has defended its stance of not paying a ransom to help free a British couple taken hostage by Somali pirates three months ago. |
| It issued a statement after an anti-piracy maritime group insisted it should be allowed to negotiate a payment for Paul and Rachel Chandler. | It issued a statement after an anti-piracy maritime group insisted it should be allowed to negotiate a payment for Paul and Rachel Chandler. |
| The Foreign Office said concessions would only "encourage" future kidnaps. | The Foreign Office said concessions would only "encourage" future kidnaps. |
| The Chandlers, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were captured while sailing towards Tanzania on 23 October. | The Chandlers, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were captured while sailing towards Tanzania on 23 October. |
| The latest news of the couple emerged on Sunday. They spoke of their ordeal through a news agency which had been allowed to send a photographer when they were examined by a doctor last week. | |
| The Chandlers said they were being badly treated and were in urgent need of help. | |
| The pirates have threatened to kill the couple if their demands for $7m (£4.4m) are not met. | The pirates have threatened to kill the couple if their demands for $7m (£4.4m) are not met. |
| 'Green light' | 'Green light' |
| Nick Davis, chairman of the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre, which provides anti-piracy advice and training, said the Chandlers' captors were running out of patience. | |
| "The door is open for them to be released. Somebody needs to pick up the gauntlet and run with it," he said. | "The door is open for them to be released. Somebody needs to pick up the gauntlet and run with it," he said. |
| Paul and Rachel Chandler were seized while sailing from the Seychelles | Paul and Rachel Chandler were seized while sailing from the Seychelles |
| "For the amounts involved, I don't think it's worth trying to bring anyone to justice. We just need to get Paul and Rachel home. | "For the amounts involved, I don't think it's worth trying to bring anyone to justice. We just need to get Paul and Rachel home. |
| "We are the people who know what needs to be done, we can do it, we just need to be allowed to do it." | "We are the people who know what needs to be done, we can do it, we just need to be allowed to do it." |
| Mr Davis said he could not do anything without the "green light" from the Foreign Office and the Chandlers' family. | Mr Davis said he could not do anything without the "green light" from the Foreign Office and the Chandlers' family. |
| He said the pirates would need to feel they were talking to somebody with the authorisation and means to secure the release. | He said the pirates would need to feel they were talking to somebody with the authorisation and means to secure the release. |
| A Foreign Office spokesperson said it had "never attempted to block any activity by Mr Davis". | A Foreign Office spokesperson said it had "never attempted to block any activity by Mr Davis". |
| "Although there is no UK law against third parties paying ransoms, we counsel against them doing so because we believe that making concessions only encourages future kidnaps. | |
| "This is why the government does not make or facilitate substantive concessions to hostage takers." | "This is why the government does not make or facilitate substantive concessions to hostage takers." |
| 'Please help' | |
| The couple were examined by a surgeon on Thursday and Mrs Chandler was reportedly in a poor state of mental and physical health. | |
| Mrs Chandler, who was being held in a separate location from her husband, told the news agency AFP: "I'm old, I'm 56 and my husband is 60 years old. We need to be together because we have not much time left." | |
| Mr Chandler appeared in better health than his wife but was also under extreme stress, AFP said. | |
| "I just want to say please, to my government, get me and my wife out of here," he said. | |
| "We have no money and we can't pay a ransom. We just need the government to help, anyone who can help us out of here." |