The New Zealand nurse was abducted along with two Syrian colleagues in 2013. The three have been held hostage for longer than anyone in ICRC history.
Keystone
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is facing criticism from the New Zealand government after it released the name of a New Zealand nurse captured by the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
On Tuesday, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters lambasted the Geneva-based aid agency for releasing the name and nationality of Louisa Akavi, 62, a New Zealand nurse who was abducted along with two Syrian colleagues on October 13, 2013. The three have been held hostage for longer than anyone in ICRC history.
The ICRC said it believed it had New Zealand’s support for its decision to allow the New York Times to publish the name and nationality on Sunday. “We would not have made that decision without the support of the New Zealand Government,” said ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart.
However, Peters said that the ICRC’s official’s claim to have acted with the government’s support was “balderdash”. He said New Zealand opposed any steps that might endanger Akavi or complicate efforts to locate her and secure her release.
At a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declined to answer questions about Akavi but indicated she was disappointed the ICRC had gone public with her name. “It remains the government’s view that it would be preferable if the case was not in the public domain,” she said.
Media pact
Since Akavi’s capture in 2013, successive New Zealand governments and the ICRC had maintained an agreement with international media to keep the nurse’s name and nationality secret out of fear that she could be executed by her captors for propaganda. ISIS has vowed to avenge a March 15 attack that left 50 dead at two mosques in New Zealand and the government feared that knowledge of Akavi’s nationality could make her a target for retribution.
ICRC reasoned that releasing Akavi’s name would raise chances of receiving news of her whereabouts following the collapse of ISIS in Syria. The agency said it had received information that she may have been seen alive as recently as December.
Peters noted that the government continues to work with the ICRC to locate and recover Akavi.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss watch industry calls for ‘clear solution’ with US
This content was published on
Federation of the Watch Industry calls for clear solution to tariff threat and a swift agreement between Bern and Washington.
Swiss youngsters illegally obtain alcohol in a quarter of test purchases
This content was published on
In a quarter of all alcohol test purchases last year, young people in Switzerland were able to obtain beer, wine or spirits illegally.
Swiss storm damage more frequent and more expensive
This content was published on
Storm damage has increased by 126% in the last ten years. Costs have risen by 133% in the same period, according to Helvetia Insurance.
Switzerland plans to tighten S-status permits for Ukrainians
This content was published on
Swiss S-status refugee permits should only be granted to Ukrainian regions where life and limb are concretely threatened.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
ICRC wants change in humanitarian sector
This content was published on
The ICRC call for a cultural shift for the humanitarian aid sector following a series of scandals about sexual misconduct in several aid agencies.
This content was published on
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is developing video games as a training tool to teach the rules of war.
Red Cross says health and aid workers face unabated attacks
This content was published on
ICRC president says workers in war zones are facing increasing attacks “and the impact on civilians is nothing but catastrophic”.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.