British teacher kidnapped in Yemen released

A British teacher kidnapped in Yemen earlier this year was released safely on Saturday following negotiations by the government in Sanaa, the Foreign Office in London said. "Mike Harvey, who had been held in Yemen since February, has been released today," a Foreign Office spokesman told AFP.
"He has been released safely and he is being supported by staff at the British embassy and they will work to reunite him with his family very soon." The spokesman said the release was secured by "the government of Yemen who engaged with tribal intermediaries, which is standard practice". "We're grateful to the government of Yemen for all their support," he added. Hundreds of people have been kidnapped in Yemen over the past 15 years, mostly by tribesmen who use them as bargaining chips in disputes with the government. Nearly all have been freed unharmed.