Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis

The Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis involved four human rights workers of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) who were held hostage in Iraq from November 26, 2005 by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. One hostage, Tom Fox, was killed, and the remaining three freed in a military operation on March 23, 2006.

On 26 November 2005, masked gunman stopped a car carrying 4 members of the CPTs (Christian Peacemaker Teams) and abducted them; the abduction took place in the university area of Baghdad-an area that had been a scene of trouble since US Marines had arrived in the area, with American troops fighting battles with Fedayeen lasting days.

The four CPTs had planned to visit the Muslim Clerics Association, an influential group of Sunni religious leaders formed in 2003 after the collapse of the former regime. They were about 100 metres from the entrance to the mosque where the meeting was to take place when they were abducted. Their driver and translator were not taken.

The hostages were:

The hostages were members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT's) Iraq project, which began working in 2002, before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Their goal is to document and publicize abuses of human rights occurring in the country, especially in relation to detainees, and to advocate for peaceful solutions to conflict.

During the crisis, CPT's Iraq team issued statements asking that the hostages be freed so they could continue their work.

A distinctive feature of this crisis was the victims' dedication to non-violence. CPT condemned the actions of the kidnappers, but maintained pacifist principles by refusing to call for any violent rescue effort. The kidnappings led to widespread sympathy and support, with calls for their release coming from diverse Muslim, Christian and secular groups in the West and Middle East. However, supporters of the Iraq War have criticized the team's presence in Iraq.

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Wikipedia