The German government has warned 14 Europeans released last week after a hostage ordeal in the Sahara desert against profiting by selling their story to newspapers. The defence minister, Peter Struck, said yesterday that any money earned from selling exclusive rights to a personal account of the hostage saga could be claimed by the German government and put towards the rescue costs. Mr Struck told the newspaper Welt am Sontag: “The costs are enormous. With consideration for taxpayers, we should expect that people don’t make a profit from their kidnapping but make fees for photos and stories available to the state.” Under the German consul law, the government can ask the victims of kidnappings and other misfortunes to cover some of the costs involved in rescuing them. Full Story
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