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Rights Group Marks Anniversary of French Journalists' Captivity


A gathering in support of Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier, two journalists from France 3 television who are held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in front Paris city hall, 29 Dec 2010
A gathering in support of Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier, two journalists from France 3 television who are held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in front Paris city hall, 29 Dec 2010

A media rights group has marked the first anniversary of the abduction of two French journalists in Afghanistan by projecting their images onto Paris' famed Arc de Triomphe.

VOA's Steve Norman speaks with Jean-François Julliard, General Secretary of Reporters Without Borders:

Reporters Without Borders released the images of Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier Wednesday on its French language website. The reporters for French 3 television and their three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped near Kabul, Afghanistan, last December and are being held by the Taliban.

In a statement on its website, Reporters Without Borders urges French President Nicolas Sarkozy to make the plight of the journalists a "national priority." The group also says a rally in support of the reporters will take place in front of City Hall, Wednesday.

Earlier this month, French government officials said they believed progress is being made in securing the journalists' release. Officials commented after militants released a video of the two reporters.

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