Polish Envoy Freed by Captors in Yemen

SANA, Yemen —  Yemeni tribesmen released Poland’s ambassador unharmed early today after holding him captive for nearly four days. Krzysztof Suprowicz’s wife, Nina, said he arrived this morning at the embassy here in the capital.

Suprowicz was abducted Wednesday by members of the Yamaneyatain tribe after dropping his wife and daughter off at the dentist in downtown Sana. The abductors demanded that the Yemeni government free fellow tribesmen arrested recently in exchange for the envoy’s release.

An Interior Ministry official said the kidnappers had been given a midnight Saturday deadline to turn over the diplomat or the government would use force. Officials said he was freed just after the deadline, but they gave no details.

Suprowicz was the first ambassador to be kidnapped in Yemen, where tribesmen often abduct foreigners.

Hostages usually are released unharmed. However, in 1998, four kidnapped tourists were killed in a botched rescue attempt.