Kidnapped Iraqi Priest Released

On Sunday 10 December, the rector of the Chaldean Catholic seminary, kidnapped last week, has been released. Another kidnapped Iraqi priest was released recently after being held for 9 days.Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.

Baghdad (IRQ), Rome (I): Father Sami Al-Rais was kidnapped near his home at St George Church on Monday 4 December, the website of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad announced. He had been scheduled to inaugurate the new academic year at the Simon Peter seminary, where he was a rector, on 6 December. The seminary had been moved from its original location in the southern Baghdad suburb of Dora after the neighbourhood had become too inquiet and moved in the neighbourhood of Jadida, to the St George Church. The reopening on 6 December was postponed when the rector was kidnapped. According to the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate website, Father Al-Rais was released on Sunday 10 December.

Another recently released Chaldean Catholic priest is Father Doglas Yousef Al-Bazi, parish priest of St Elias Church in Baghdad. He was released on 28 November after being held for 9 days. The kidnappers were given a ransom of $ 170,000 for the priests' release, but it remains unclear if the two were kidnapped by the same group. According to Father Al-Bazi, the kidnappers were working with the Iraqi police and army, they were able to travel on roads and stop at checkpoints without a problem.