214:. The men in order of capture were: Michael Berdinner, Alan Russell, Malcolm Anderson and Robin Plummer. At first, Allen Russell and Malcolm Anderson were held at a separate location where they were questioned and beaten. Ledingham, Berdinner and Plummer (Plummer in solitary confinement) were in the same facility, the Italian Mansion, a building approximately 400 yards distant from the Italian Embassy.
24:
252:
In London, a committee in parliament was held to determine whether or not what the
British government had done over the Libyan hostage situation was reasonable. The committee concluded that in the circumstances, the British government had done all it reasonably could in the light of what little was
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A second meeting with George
Anderson resulted in all the hostages being put into one location, the Italian Mansion, and being fed an improved diet and given medical attention. This improvement in circumstances was accompanied by a slow but inexorable descent into gloom of the hostages isolated from
222:
A month after being taken hostage, the five men were allowed a meeting with the
British Second Consul, George Anderson, who was able to offer only pastoral care and contact with home, but no suggestion of release. It was clear by this time, however, that the men were being held as hostages by one of
188:
There was a standoff between the Libyan and
British governments over the pursuit of who shot WPC Fletcher. The standoff resulted in the breaking of diplomatic relations by Britain with Libya, and the return to Libya under diplomatic immunity of the occupants of the Libyan Peoples' Bureau in London.
243:
of ITN to keep the hostages' plight in the media to keep the situation in the news and the profile high on the government's agenda. By now, the families were being kept up to date on a daily basis by contacts within the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London as to the stalemate between Libya and
273:
Doug
Ledingham and George Bush, another prisoner, arrested and detained on bona fide charges unrelated to the Libyan hostage situation, were freed and allowed home. On the day of their release, British television news was granted access to and showed the world for the first time, detail of the
189:
Rumours abounded at the time as to the fate of the person who is alleged to have fired the fatal shots from the Libyan People's Bureau. In 1986, a
British businessman who had worked for Colonel Gaddafi's regime reported WPC Fletcher's killer had been hanged as soon as he returned to Libya.
201:
Militants from the NFSL attempted to assassinate
Gaddafi at Bab Al-Aziza barracks in Tripoli. The attempt lead to several deaths in the fighting. Some 2,000 Libyans were arrested following the attack, and eight were hanged publicly.
192:
Following the breaking of diplomatic relations with Libya, the
British Embassy in Tripoli was evacuated by the British and ransacked by the Libyans. A skeleton staff of British diplomats took up office in the Italian Embassy.
286:. The two wives petitioned for a representative of the British Government to go to Libya and start negotiations for the release of the hostages. This meeting was soon followed by the arrival in Libya of Terry Waite.
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Allen
Russell was placed on trial and charged with sharing state secrets with British journalists. Robin Plummer seized the opportunity to speak to the press, stated his innocence and made a plea for warm clothing.
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Terry Waite was in Libya. The hostage situation showed no signs of thawing, in spite of national and international efforts to secure the release of the hostages and the intervention at a pastoral level of Waite.
128:, 17 April 1984 and lasted until 5 February 1985 (294 days). In accordance with the hostage release agreement, reporting on the incident was restricted until the fall of Gaddafi in 2011.
223:
Col Gaddafi's Revolutionary Committees, in defiance of international law. Return to their respective prisons was followed by little or no improvement in the hostages' circumstances.
352:
The Congresses voted by an overwhelming majority to release the hostages, but with conditions attached. For undisclosed reasons, the release was also subject to a few days' delay.
210:
Four further British men in Libya were rounded up and detained as hostages against the four arrested Libyan nationals in Britain by those claiming to be officials of the
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Alan Russell and Malcolm Anderson were removed from the Italian Mansion and taken to the Libyan courts, where they were charged with transporting state secrets.
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The Libyans allowed family members to visit the hostages. These visits brought unofficial news of the, as yet, publicly undisclosed involvement of
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Meanwhile, in Britain, unbeknownst to the hostages, their families, notably Pat Plummer and Carole Russell, were working tirelessly with
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WPC Fletcher's memorial was unveiled, which temporarily disrupted negotiations and sent a very clear message to the Libyans.
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The four men were confirmed as political hostages by Gaddafi. Waite held a Christmas carol service with the hostages.
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was hit by a bullet from a burst of machine-gun fire from within the Libyan People's Bureau (Libyan Embassy) in
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Britain, with a continual decline in international relations between Libya and most of the rest of the world.
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Two of the wives of the hostages, Pat Plummer and Carole Russell, attended a meeting with the Prime Minister
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336:, the systems of democracy prevalent in Libya at the time, for a decision on the release of the hostages.
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694:"A Libyan newspaper said today that all Libyan students held in British jails must be set free",
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Libya – statement by Larry Pressler in a session of the UN General Assembly on November 19, 1986
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711:"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, is pictured with special envoy Terry Waite",
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Col Gaddafi himself placed the matter of the remaining hostages before the members of the
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701:"Church of England envoy, Mr Terry Waite was today reporting to the Archbishop of Cant",
708:"Envoy to report on Libya meeting", Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 27 December 1984
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New moves could help the four Britons held in Libya and the two who come home tomorrow
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After almost nine months (294 days), the hostages arrived back in England.
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Doug Ledingham returns home, Pat Plummer insists the government do more
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Four Libyan nationals were arrested on charges following explosions at
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667:"They're free at last. Libyans keep up tension to the end",
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Wives plead to Gaddafi and Plummer pleas for warm clothes
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That evening, Doug Ledingham, the airport manager for
763:. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1987.
48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
753:Country Studies>Libya>Government>Britain
620:Press Conference in Libya to release hostages
383:Interactive Business Network Resource Library
8:
554:Russell and Anderson charged with espionage
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
149:in the UK and were remanded in custody.
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169:, London. She died shortly afterwards.
687:"Anxious wait for news of detainees",
717:"Premier to see families of 3 held",
658:"Airport will issue Briton's visas",
398:Libyan embassy shots kill policewoman
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46:adding citations to reliable sources
532:Post meeting with Margaret Thatcher
435:Selena Scott interviews Pat Plummer
180:, Libya, was arrested by soldiers.
126:murder of police constable Fletcher
419:, On this Date, BBC, 27 April 1984
400:, On this Date, BBC, 17 April 1984
157:During a protest organised by the
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798:Diplomatic crises of the Cold War
638:Former Hostages arrive at Gatwick
740:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
733:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
726:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
719:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
713:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
703:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
696:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
689:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
682:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
669:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
661:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
476:, 1993, Hodder and Stoughton, UK
163:police constable Yvonne Fletcher
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417:1984: Libyan embassy siege ends
232:all news of the outside world.
33:needs additional citations for
813:Libya–United Kingdom relations
680:] 24 hours for freedom",
530:Tony Scase (17 October 1984).
57:"1984 Libyan hostage incident"
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453:After Carole's visit to Libya
161:, a Libyan opposition group,
124:began on the morning of the
644:Breakfast. 7 February 1985.
334:General People's Congresses
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818:1984 in the United Kingdom
742:, 3 September 1984on here.
174:British Caledonian Airways
724:"Woman plea to Gaddafi",
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178:Tripoli Universal Airport
122:Libyan hostage situation
803:Political controversies
793:Hostage taking in Libya
761:Libya: A Country Study
598:A difficult Christmas
767:A Brush With Madness
596:(24 December 1984).
574:(14 December 1984).
511:(1 September 1984).
489:(2 September 1984).
433:(3 September 1984).
42:improve this article
735:, 12 September 1984
728:, 18 September 1984
618:(5 February 1985).
552:(21 October 1984).
307:13–14 December 1984
298:10–18 November 1984
274:hostage situation.
253:known at the time.
738:"Desperate plea",
731:"Morris to help",
705:, 28 December 1984
788:Conflicts in 1985
783:Conflicts in 1984
757:Helen Chapin Metz
721:, 15 October 1984
691:, 15 January 1985
684:, 4 February 1985
671:, 5 February 1985
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284:Margaret Thatcher
167:St James's Square
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470:Terry Waite
457:Anglia News
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248:Summer 1984
777:Categories
626:Breakfast.
364:References
197:8 May 1984
143:Manchester
137:March 1984
68:newspapers
616:Kate Adie
594:Kate Adie
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550:Kate Adie
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413:"Stories"
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