The former hostage Serge Lazarevic arrived in France – Le Figaro

o The last French hostage freed
Serge Lazarevic, the last French hostage in the world, was released after more than three years of captivity at the hands of Islamist group AQIM. The announcement of the release of the captive, abducted on 24 November 2011 at Hombori (Mali), was made in mid-day with Francois Hollande. The release took place on Malian territory in the Kidal region (north). Lazarevic, 51, who has dual French and Serbian nationality, was kidnapped with Philippe Verdon, whom he accompanied on a business trip. The latter was found dead with a bullet in the head in July 2013.

o Lazarevic hosted Wednesday morning by François Hollande
former hostage must be hosted Wednesday around 7:30 on the Villacoublay air base (Yvelines) by the head of state. He passed Tuesday by Niamey (Niger), where he was to meet his daughter Diane of Paris on board an aircraft of the French state in the company of Didier Le Bret, head of the Quai d’Orsay Crisis Center and deChristophe Schmidt, doctor of the center.

o “I am fit,” says the former captive
“I lost twenty pounds but it okay, I’m fit, “said Lazarevic after a meeting with Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou Tuesday night. “I want to thank the President of Niger is there, and I would like to thank the people of Niger who collaborated with France,” said the former hostage during a short statement broadcast on a local channel.

o Uncertainties about the conditions of his release
Announcing the release, Francois Hollande did not mention the payment of any ransom. Alain Marsaud, UMP of French abroad, said on BFM TV that Paris had “always paid a ransom” and secured the release of prisoners in Mali or Niger prisons. According to two sources Malian Mohamed Ag Wassoudene suspected of being one of the initiators of the abduction of Serge Lazarevic and his alleged accomplice Haiba Ag Acherif, are part of the prisoner exchange. One of the main Tuareg armed groups in northern Mali, the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA), also assured to have played a role in the liberation of Serge Lazarevic, citing also the intervention of Mohamed Akotey. Tuareg personality and former Nigerian Minister Akotey had been in October 2013, the architect of the release, after three years of captivity, four French hostages kidnapped in Niger by AQIM.