19:44, 7 August 2003

"Doctors Without Borders" believe Arjan Erkel is alive

Almost one year passed since the coordinator of the mission of the International Humanitarian organization ?Doctors Without Borders? in Dagestan Arjan Erkel had been kidnapped in Makhachkala on August 12, 2002.

As the press secretary of the organization ?Doctors Without Borders? Mark Wulsh reported, there is a firm belief Erkel is alive. Kidnappers forwarded his pictures made while being in capture. However there is no any information about Arjan's whereabouts.

The Federal Security Service and the Ministries of Internal Affairs of Russia and Dagestan joined their forces in Erkel's search. The utmost, according to Mark Wulsh, is being done by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs too. During the recent meeting in Moscow between the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov and the director of the Swiss section of ?Doctors Without Borders? Thomas Linder Ivanov assured his interlocutor all necessary measures are being taken to find out possible whereabouts of the kidnapped man.

Source: Dagestanskaya Pravda newspaper