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French hostage abducted by Al-Qaeda released 3 years after

51-year-old Serge Lazarevic was released on Tuesday, December 9, and, according to France’s President, Francois Hollande, is in “relatively good health.”

A French citizen, who was abducted by Al-Qaeda in Mali, has been freed after spending more than three years in captivity.

51-year-old Serge Lazarevic was released on Tuesday, December 9, and, according to France’s President, Francois Hollande, is in “relatively good health.”

Lazarevic was reportedly freed by his captors after negotiations between the governments of Niger, Mali and France.

“We no longer have any hostages in any country of the world and we should not have any,” Hollande said.

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Lazarevic was kidnapped in November 2011 along with another Frenchman, Philippe Verdon, who was found dead in July 2013.

A security source in Mali told AP that Lazarevic was released after two Al-Qaeda fighters, who had been implicated in his abduction, were handed over to the sect.

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