'We could be killed within a week' - Paul Chandler

Rachel and Paul ChandlerThe Tunbridge Wells couple kidnapped by Somali pirates have urged the Government to carry out negotiations to buy their lives back.

A video of Paul and Rachel Chandler has been released in which their captors are seen pointing guns at them. It is believed the video was filmed on Wednesday.

The pair, who were seized almost a month ago as they sailed from the Seychelles towards Tanzania, say they fear they could be killed within a week.

Although in the footage Mr Chandler says they are "unharmed and in reasonable physical health" he also says their captors are "losing patience".

He warns he has no doubt their kidnappers would not hesitate to kill them, perhaps within a week or so.

The group holding the Chandlers want more than £4million to secure their safe return.

The British Government has reiterated it does not negotiate with hostage takers and is refusing to discuss ransom demands.

Saturday, November 21 2009

Comments (6)

Comments closed

  • Amanda B wrote:

    Money

    I just learnt today that the tax payer is forking out 2.5million a year to pay for Tony Blair to have bodyguards and to protect his safety. But the government is not interested in paying for/entering into negotiations for the safety of this couple? I know where I would rather my money went. I understand the need to not barter with terrorists but given our wonderful government (who wish to make other peoples lives in other countries better)messed up in so many other ways - Royal Navy being nearby, not stopping the companies from entering into deals with pirates when their ships were taken, sticking our noses where they dont belong... shouldnt they make some effort to show us they have some level of human decency and care about the people who put them in power and pay their wages?

    12 Dec 2009 10:53 PM

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  • Melonie Hykes wrote:

    Paul and Rachel

    Its irrelevant what Paul and Rachel did, they are human beings and certainly do not need stupid comments as above top, from people who can't even get the geographical location right. We all do things we regret in our life, but they deserve to be rescued as human right.

    29 Nov 2009 12:43 PM

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  • Sharon Heath wrote:

    How many more need to be kidnap?

    How soon The British Government and publice forgets. This could have been stoped from happening as the Royal Navy witnessed the Somali pirates kidnap Paul and Rachel Chandler.
    Yes I read there were 75 merchant seamen and 25 Royal Navy sailors aboard the Royal Fleet Auxiliary replenishment tanker Wave Knight (acording to the press release).

    But at the end of the day I hold Ministry of Defence, the British Government and the other Countries responsible for not taking action and trying to stop this, as if they all stood together, the Somali pirates problem would be under some sort of control.

    27 Nov 2009 8:40 PM

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  • lupe wrote:

    who's stupid here

    I'm not sure what's more stupid:
    -really sailing past somalia (which is what the Chandlers did NOT do, Mr. Sankey) or
    -posting a comment with such lack of knowledge of geography, leaving alone the moral aspect of the posts.
    As is easily to be gleaned from their blog, the Chandlers followed the recommendations of the foreign office of GB and other states. (Thus, they were not warned, Marie F.) They were heading from south India to Madagascar, having carefully avoided all known "pirate-infested" territory.

    24 Nov 2009 4:31 PM

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  • Marie F wrote:

    They were warned

    I agree with comment above - these stupid people were warned but decided not to take heed and now want the government to bail them out!

    23 Nov 2009 4:58 PM

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  • Ian Sankey wrote:

    What did they expect?!!

    Why the hell should we 'buy back their lives' - there should be no reward for stupidity.... and sailing past somalia is just that.

    21 Nov 2009 8:06 PM

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