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| Fate of Clerics Held in Syria Is Disputed | Fate of Clerics Held in Syria Is Disputed |
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| BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Christian advocacy group and the television network Al Jazeera reported the release on Tuesday of two Syrian archbishops who had been seized on a road trip outside their home city of Aleppo 24 hours earlier. But others said the archbishops were still held by unidentified kidnappers, in a day of conflicting accounts about the fate of the pair, the most prominent clergymen drawn into Syria’s civil war. | BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Christian advocacy group and the television network Al Jazeera reported the release on Tuesday of two Syrian archbishops who had been seized on a road trip outside their home city of Aleppo 24 hours earlier. But others said the archbishops were still held by unidentified kidnappers, in a day of conflicting accounts about the fate of the pair, the most prominent clergymen drawn into Syria’s civil war. |
| The Syrian government issued a statement condemning the kidnapping and saying that “it was confirmed that those who perpetrated this brutal act are Chechen mercenaries,” working for a militant Islamist rebel faction called the Nusra Front. The statement, reported by the Sana state news service, offered no evidence for the assertion that the kidnappers were Chechen, the same ethnicity as the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. | The Syrian government issued a statement condemning the kidnapping and saying that “it was confirmed that those who perpetrated this brutal act are Chechen mercenaries,” working for a militant Islamist rebel faction called the Nusra Front. The statement, reported by the Sana state news service, offered no evidence for the assertion that the kidnappers were Chechen, the same ethnicity as the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. |
| The advocacy group, L’Oeuvre d’Orient, which assists Middle Eastern Christians, posted a statement on its Web site that the two kidnapping victims — a Syriac archbishop, Yohanna Ibrahim, and a Greek Orthodox archbishop, Paul Yazigi — had been freed early Tuesday afternoon. The group, based in Paris, said the archbishops were staying in a Greek Orthodox Church in Aleppo, the northern city that has been a combat zone since last summer. | The advocacy group, L’Oeuvre d’Orient, which assists Middle Eastern Christians, posted a statement on its Web site that the two kidnapping victims — a Syriac archbishop, Yohanna Ibrahim, and a Greek Orthodox archbishop, Paul Yazigi — had been freed early Tuesday afternoon. The group, based in Paris, said the archbishops were staying in a Greek Orthodox Church in Aleppo, the northern city that has been a combat zone since last summer. |
| Al Jazeera also reported their release, quoting a priest, Tony Yazigi, a relative of the Greek Orthodox archbishop. | |
| The two were abducted on Monday by armed men who ambushed their vehicle in Aleppo Province and executed their driver, who had worked for Archbishop Ibrahim, according to both Syria’s official news media and antigovernment activists. | The two were abducted on Monday by armed men who ambushed their vehicle in Aleppo Province and executed their driver, who had worked for Archbishop Ibrahim, according to both Syria’s official news media and antigovernment activists. |
| “While L’Oeuvre d’Orient rejoices at the news of their release, it deplores the murder of the driver,” the advocacy group’s statement said. It also called for the release of two priests missing in Syria for three months. | “While L’Oeuvre d’Orient rejoices at the news of their release, it deplores the murder of the driver,” the advocacy group’s statement said. It also called for the release of two priests missing in Syria for three months. |
| Despite the reports that the archbishops had been freed, there was no confirmation, and as the day progressed contradictory accounts emerged. Abdel-Ahad Steifo, a Syriac member of the National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the main political opposition group, said in an interview on Al Jazeera that the archbishops were still being held by the kidnappers. | Despite the reports that the archbishops had been freed, there was no confirmation, and as the day progressed contradictory accounts emerged. Abdel-Ahad Steifo, a Syriac member of the National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the main political opposition group, said in an interview on Al Jazeera that the archbishops were still being held by the kidnappers. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group, claimed the two archbishops had been kidnapped by foreign fighters who had been heard speaking classical Arabic. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group, claimed the two archbishops had been kidnapped by foreign fighters who had been heard speaking classical Arabic. |
Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, and Rick Gladstone from New York. | Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, and Rick Gladstone from New York. |
| This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: April 25, 2013 | Correction: April 25, 2013 |
An article on Wednesday about the disputed fate of two kidnapped Syrian archbishops misidentified, in some editions, the Syrian province where they were abducted on Monday. It is Aleppo Province, not Idlib. | An article on Wednesday about the disputed fate of two kidnapped Syrian archbishops misidentified, in some editions, the Syrian province where they were abducted on Monday. It is Aleppo Province, not Idlib. |
| This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | |
| Correction: May 9, 2013 | |
An article on April 24 about conflicting reports on the fate of two Syrian archbishops who had been seized on a road trip outside their home city of Aleppo misidentified the position within the Greek Orthodox Church that is held by Tony Yazigi, a relative of one kidnapping victim. He is a priest, not a bishop. |