Japanese hostage to be released today, mediation committee

YEMEN - Mediation committee agreed with the kidnappers that the Japanese hostage will be released today with attendance from a number of sheikhs and social leaders, said sheikh Abdul-Jalil Sinan, head of mediation committee.

Sheikhs promised that they will follow up with the state authority until the release of Hussein Abdullah Hussein Joab who has been detained in jail for four years and is accused of affiliation with al-Qaeda. Sheikh Sinan said that the reason behind the delay of the release of the Japanese hostage is the absence of some sheikhs from al-Hyma and Murad who were among the mediation committee.

Arhab kidnappers suspended their Japanese hostage’s release over skepticism of the guarantee signed by a mediation committee, local sources said.

The mediation committee’s member said that the kidnappers refused the committee's written guarantee, stipulating that a granter should be either a local council member or a tribal sheikh who guarantees carrying out their demand for releasing their prisoner held by political security.

The committee is still continuing their mediation, hoping to receive the hostage on Wednesday.

In a related issue, Sana'a governor, Noman Doaid, reiterated in his meeting with Yemeni and Japanese journalists that the Japanese hostage Tak yu Shimowa held by a tribal group, will be handed over on Wednesday, adding that the mediators are trying to agree with the kidnappers over the guarantees for releasing the tribal prisoner.

The state is facing tribal pressures to release the most dangerous prisoners, ensuring that they will not respond to extortion, Doaid said, not mentioning the measures that are to be taken.

Interior Ministry sources said that the Arhab tribal prisoner for whom the hostage was kidnapped for exchange is accused of affiliation with al-Qaeda.
Hussein Abdullah Hussein Joab, the prisoner, fought in Iraq for two years for a religious group’s army. He stayed in Syria for a year and for another year in Lebanon. Joab was arrested when he returned from Iraq four years ago, said a source at the interior ministry. Joab belongs to an Arhab tribe in Zandan area.

The hostage, Takeo Mashimo, 63, was supervising a project for building a school in one of Arhab villages, when he was kidnapped Monday. Mashimo was going to work on his project, which is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA).

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